Patriots hold first interview with external candidate for lead front office executive job
The Patriots’ search for their new lead personnel executive has its first external candidate.
About 24 hours after is was made public that the New England Patriots are “moving forward” with their search for a new lead front office executive to replace Bill Belichick as the long-term de facto general manager, the search has it’s first publicly-known interview. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the team interviewed Philadelphia Eagles director of scouting Brandon Hunt for the job on Tuesday.
Hunt just finished up his second season as the Eagles’ director of scouting, working under general manager Howie Rosman. Prior to joining the Eagles organization he was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ pro scouting coordinator from 2009 to 2022. Hunt was a candidate for the Steelers GM job in 2022 but the team hired Omar Kahn instead.
READ MORE:
—How Drake Maye’s college quarterback battle can help him early in New England
—The Patriots’ roster is now down to four quarterbacks
—Which UDFAs are most likely to make the Patriots’ roster?
Hunt’s interview comes after the Patriots had multiple candidates reportedly turn down opportunities to interview for the job. Those that reportedly declined to interview include Buffalo Bills director of player personnel Terrance Gray, former Arizona Cardinals VP of player personnel Quentin Harris, and Cincinnati Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown.
Part of the reason the Patriots may be having so much trouble getting people to interview for the job is that, according to multiple reports, it’s expected to go to current director of scouting Eliot Wolf. Wolf served as the Patriots’ lead personnel executive throughout this past offseason following Belichick’s departure.
However in order to officially promote Wolf to a lead personnel position – whether the title is general manager or something equivalent – the Patriots first have to undergo a full interview process. That includes being Rooney Rule compliant, which in this case would mean holding in-person interviews with at least two minority and/or female candidates.
Hunt would qualify as one of those two interviews. The Patriots will need to conduct at least one more before making any decision, whether they choose Wolf or somebody else.
Read more on the Patriots below…
Meet the New England Patriots 2024 draft class
The New England Patriots 2024 draft class is complete. Read more about each pick below.
In total, the Pats made eight selections in the 2024 draft, and seven of them addressed the offense. It was the right thing to do, for a unit that had rotted from within at all the key spots on the roster.
That doesn’t mean all these draft picks are guaranteed to hit, but it was imperative for Patriots de facto GM Eliot Wolf to take shots at critical positions like quarterback, wide receiver, and tackle. He did exactly that with the Pats’ first three picks in a row.
Did Wolf land the Patriots’ franchise quarterback of the future? That will be the No. 1 question coming out of this draft. Meet him and the rest of the Patriots’ 2024 draft picks…
Round 1, No. 3: QB Drake Maye, UNC
Drake Maye (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The key to the whole thing. If Maye pans out and becomes the Patriots’ first true franchise quarterback since Tom Brady, their concerns at wide receiver and along the offensive line suddenly won’t matter so much.
Maye has prototypical quarterback size at 6-foot-4 and 223 pounds, and has the arm talent to elevate the weapons around him. But despite his off-the-charts raw ability, Maye needs to improve his footwork and has a steep learning curve ahead of him going from North Carolina to an NFL offense.
So, the best thing for both Maye and the organization is to sit him to begin his rookie year, and allow him to work out the kinks in his game and learn the playbook. Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo and director of scouting Eliot Wolf are confident that Maye has the work ethic and “football intelligence” to do so.
If all goes well in Maye’s development, the Pats will have their franchise quarterback of the future. And he would be the type of guy you need in the modern NFL: an elite athlete with the intangibles to match.
Round 2, No. 37: WR Ja’Lynn Polk, Washington
Ja’Lynn Polk (John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)
The Patriots wasted little time making their long-awaited high draft pick at wide receiver. They traded down from 34 to 37, turning their fifth-round pick into a fourth-rounder in the process, and went for Polk, a guy Eliot Wolf said the team “had [their] eye on for a while.”
Polk has good size at 6-foot-1 and 203 pounds, and has been universally praised for his hands and his toughness at the catch point. He has big-play potential with his body control and ball-tracking, and has shown the ability to play both inside and outside.
His route-running is solid but could use some improvement. Polk tends to make rounded cuts out of his breaks, and could stand to become more sudden with his change of direction. If he can do that, he could become a productive receiver at the NFL level.
Polk’s ceiling seems to be more of a No. 2 receiver or complementary piece than a true No. 1, but this is the reality in today’s NFL: the true studs all go in the top half of the first round now. Polk should be better than infamous recent picks like N’Keal Harry and Tyquan Thornton. He has a chance to start from day 1 as an “X” or “Z” target.
Round 3, No. 68: OT Caedan Wallace, Penn State
Caedan Wallace (Syndication: York Daily Record)
With their all-important third pick and final one of day 2, the Patriots addressed a huge need at tackle with Wallace out of Penn State. Wallace played right tackle for the Nittany Lions and comes into the NFL with tackle-caliber size and length at 6-foot-5, 314 pounds with 34-inch arms.
Wolf told reporters that he’s confident Wallace has the athletic ability to switch from right tackle to left tackle. The hope is that he does indeed pan out as a blindside protector for Maye. For now, left tackle should be considered a competition between Wallace and free-agent signing Chukwuma Okorafor.
Round 4, No. 103: OG Layden Robinson, Texas A&M
Layden Robinson (Dustin Safranek-USA TODAY Sports)
Robinson played right guard at Texas A&M, and projects as a guard at the NFL level at 6-foot-3 and 302 pounds. But he does have great arm length at 34 ⅝ inches. He gets high marks for his power and play strength.
The reason Robinson was a day-3 pick was a relative lack of consistency in his performance, and unrefined techniques in certain areas, particularly in run blocking. He likely won’t play right away for the Patriots, but there are traits for them to work with here, and the potential to develop him into a starting guard down the road.
Round 4, No. 110: WR Javon Baker, UCF
Javon Baker (Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports)
Another fit for the Eliot Wolf mold, Baker has good size at 6-foot-1 and 202 pounds, and has the skill set to make big plays down the field – jumping ability, ball-tracking, catch radius. He’s also a versatile route-runner, making him a good fit for a West Coast-style offense, which the Patriots are expected to run under offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt.
The knocks on Baker in his scouting reports note the occasional focus drop and struggles against press-man coverage. But Baker does have the size and strength to possibly be coached up to handle that better at the NFL level. On the Patriots, he’ll have an opportunity to play relatively soon as a big “X” outside receiver, a player type they desperately need.
Round 6, No. 180: DB Marcellas Dial, South Carolina
Marcellas Dial (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
The Patriots finally addressed the defense and a sneaky need in the secondary with the selection of Dial in the sixth round. Dial played as a cornerback at South Carolina and has the physical tools to play man at the NFL level. He has to develop those skills to stick on the Patriots’ roster, but he has a chance, considering their relative lack of certainty at corner.
Round 6, No. 193: QB Joe Milton, Tennessee
Joe Milton III (Saul Young/News Sentinel/USA Today Network)
You can bet your bottom dollar that this pick made our resident draft expert Alex Barth extremely excited. That said, Milton right now is basically a big arm – the biggest arm – and not much else. He has a lot to learn about playing the position at the NFL level. But he should project as a long-term backup for Drake Maye, perhaps with the potential to be something more, if he develops well.
Round 7, No. 231: TE Jaheim Bell, Florida State
ORLANDO, FLORIDA – SEPTEMBER 03: Jaheim Bell #6 of the Florida State Seminoles runs in a 4-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter against the LSU Tigers at Camping World Stadium on September 03, 2023 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Bell is undersized for a tight end at 6-foot-2 and 241 pounds, but he showed some pass-catching ability and all-over-the-field versatility for Florida State. He’s an indication that new Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo values versatility as much as his predecessor, Bill Belichick. There will be no pressure on Bell to contribute any time soon, with Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper in the fold at tight end. But he has potential as a versatile H-back type if he develops well.
