Here's everything Patriots de facto GM Eliot Wolf said during pre-draft press conference at Gillette Stadium

With only a week to go until the 2024 NFL Draft, New England Patriots de facto general manager Eliot Wolf spoke with reporters, fielding numerous questions. 

All the main questions centered around what the Patriots plan to do with the No. 3 overall pick, and Wolf had plenty to say. But he didn't quite give away exactly what the Patriots are planning. 

Wolf spoke with reporters for nearly 20 minutes, so there is plenty of important things he mentioned. 

Here's everything Eliot Wolf said: 

Opening Statement
"Good morning everyone. Wanted to thank you all for coming. It's been a while since we last had some time together. Also wanted to thank the Kraft's for their support. Thank Coach Mayo and his staff throughout this draft process. It's been great collaborating with them and working with them, with private workouts and zoom calls, and getting their reports and all those things. I wanted to thank the scouts for their tireless effort to get this draft class right over the last, call it, three years. Being away from their families, working on the road, digging out information, being passionate about what they do, and also representing the Patriots  in a professional manner. And I also want to thank the families of the coaches and scouts for kind of putting up with us, putting up with these crazy schedules. The coaches had a week off at the end of March and a lot of vacations were scheduled and a lot of our coaches needed to leave their vacations to go to these Pro Days. So we definitely appreciate the families. We're going to try and get this thing right and get it back going."

Right now you're the final decision maker on this pick. Robert Kraft has talked about having an open GM search afterwards and maybe naming a GM. Additionally, he's also said I want a top-tier quarterback in the draft. How does that dynamic work not being general manager, how is that impacting your mood at three?
"Yeah, it doesn't really impact it much at all. We're just kind of putting our heads down and working. Obviously at the end of the day, somebody has to make a decision, but there's a group of people that we're relying on to help make these decisions. Obviously, Coach Mayo is heavily involved, the coaching staff, whatever coordinator on whatever side of the ball for each pick, and the scouting department. So, we're just really kind of focused on the long term, focused on what's right for the team. 

Do you personally feel that you're on trial with this? 
"I haven't thought about it that way. That's an interesting way to think about it. No, since I've been given this opportunity to work with these people, I've just kind of put my head down and tried to do things that I feel like are the best for the Patriots.

When we talked to you at the Combine, you were the one who was going to be making the call ultimately at No. 3. Has anything changed at this point? 
"No, but again, if I'm the only person that wants a player and everybody else in the building doesn't want the player, I'm not crazy. We're gonna try to do what's right. 

At this point, how would you characterize trade discussions with other teams? 
"Yeah, so ongoing. We're open to anything, moving up, moving down. We're open for business in the first round, and in every round. We have some holes we feel like we need to fill in the draft. And we're a draft and develop team. The more picks we have the better, but if there's an opportunity to move up and strike if the board  recommends it, then we won't be afraid to pull the trigger on that either.

The are obviously six quarterbacks that people are mentioning and obviously you're not going to mention it by name, feel free if you want to though. But how do you guys in general, have them ranked? ... Do you have them rated in terms of how they're going to be playing in 2024 or you have them rated how they might be in 25?
"Yeah, I'll address the second part of that first. It's a long term decision. I mean, I guess that's the best way to characterize it. It's a long term decision. We look at upside, not just at the first pick, but every pick. We looked at upside in the draft and we tried to build out. We have positions where we think we need to supplement now, kind of plug and play type players. And we have other positions where we feel like we can draft and develop those people. So, as far as the way we have them rated, I prefer to not really get into that at this point at quarterback or at any other position."

Whether you stay at three or move somewhere, do you feel quarterback has to be the pick? 
"No."

How comfortable would you be taking one of the top three or four quarterbacks? 
"I think we'd be comfortable with it."

Do you feel that the roster as currently constructed and is in a position to support a rookie quarterback next season? 
"I do. I read a lot of that storyline. I'm not really sure what that means. We have a solid offensive line - we resigned Mike Onwenu, we have David Andrews coming back, we have three rookies that we drafted last year that are developing, we signed (Chukwuma) Okorafor from the Steelers. Hunter Henry, I mean, a good running game, a solid foundation and a solid system in place with Coach (Alex) Van Pelt on the offense. So I definitely feel like we can support."

Do you feel that there'll be a quarterback at three who's worthy of the No. 3 pick? 
"Yeah, I think so."

Who do you envision as the left tackle right now? 
"I think if the season started today, which I get on the guys about using that phrase because that can sometimes lead to bad decisions. If we had a game tomorrow, we don't have a punt returned and stuff like that. If the season started tomorrow, I think it would be Okorafor, but that is probably more of a question for Coach Mayo. 

He hasn't played much on the left side.
"He played there in college. And so we went back and watched that film, obviously evaluating him when he was coming out. And he's an athletic, big guy. So we feel like you can make that transition or make that transition back to play on the left.

How much time have you spent on war game scenarios? Alright, we're sitting there with three, what do we do if Team X calls? 
"Yeah, no, definitely we spend time on all those scenarios. When you're picking this high fortunately, those teams that are interested are also doing that, so they'll reach out earlier than when we're on the clock. So that makes a little bit easier in this particular situation."

Have any introductory conversations taken place? 
"Yeah, there's been conversations that have taken place."

When you bring a quarterback in for a top-30 visit, what are some things you have them do?
"Get to know everyone. See how they react around the coaches, around the support staff. The scouting assistants are a big part of it, taking them around. We do a medical, they meet with the coaching staff and go through an install and a walkthrough and really get a feel for them as much as they're getting a feel for us and our buildings. So it's valuable. Obviously, everyone has the film from their careers that they can watch and evaluate, but getting them in our situation and seeing how they react is a valuable part of the process. 

You said earlier, you're not crazy and if the whole room was thinking about one guy and you're thinking about somebody else, you want to do what's best for the team. Is it important to have consensus on a player if you're going to be drafting him at No. 3 overall? 
"Yeah, I mean it helps definitely."

Do you feel it's necessary?
"I mean, among the real, true decision makers, I think it is, yes."

Every team does it differently. Do you anticipate going to a smaller decision making group? When will that be and who will be in that final group for you? 
"I mean, again, picking so early, we can kind of work through the scenarios. Like not all while the draft is going on. We've already had a lot of those conversations. As far as who will be involved, there's a smaller group of people that we'll talk to, both in the scouting side and the coaching side, and we'll get together Jerod and I, and kind of work through that along with Matt Groh, whichever coordinator on whichever side of the ball. And that'll that'll happen at every pick. That's not just the first pick."

With the players coming back, what have you noticed about Jerod Mayo's leadership style now that he's taken on the head coaching role?
"That's an excellent question. And I'm really excited about Jerod interacting with the players. You guys all know Jerod, like he has a great way about him. He's very calm and easy, but also intelligent and intentional with what he says. So it's been really cool to kind of seeing him interact with the players and there's a nice vibe in the building right now. Again, it's week one and nothing's happened that's bad yet."

Do you feel the players are just as excited to play for him? 
"I think so. I think they are. I think it'll be a good situation."

At the receiver position, the Patriots haven't had much luck drafting and developing receivers, especially in early rounds say compared to the Packers. Is there anything you can sort of pinpoint to why that's been the case? What's been the difference in Green Bay compared to New England? And how do you change that? 
"That's a good question. I'm not totally sure how to answer that. I think the Packers had good success. Ted Thompson was phenomenal at drafting receivers, identifying receivers in the second or third round. Hopefully some of that rubs off on me, the things I've learned from him. I don't think there's any one thing that I can point to about why it hasn't worked here, or why it worked better there. I don't know how to answer that."

Continuing with the receiver question, it seems from the outside that you mostly have a lot of Z and Slot types. Do you feel there are players on the roster that can fill that X receiver role, or is that something you're still looking to supplement?
"I think we have players that can can line up and play at X. Do we have players that on a three-by-one can beat the backside coverage every single time? I'm not sure we have that just yet. But we certainly have good receivers that we're excited about working with. KJ Osborne can play all three positions, We have Kendrick Bourne coming back, Pop (DeMario Douglas), JuJu (Smith-Schuster). I mean, you know the list goes on. We feel like we have NFL receivers."

There's a lot of different ages with these quarterbacks. Some of them are older, some of the younger guys. How do you look at that in terms of development and do you feel like those guys that are a little bit older... how do you guys weigh those things when it comes to age? 
"Yeah, we don't really look at the age specifically, it's more of the skill set. All of these guys have been coached well in college, some longer than others, but we feel like every individual situation is different."

Jerod told us at the owners meetings that he thought you guys were close to a consensus on how you feel about these quarterbacks. Are you there now among the top decision makers? 
"We haven't had that final conversation yet. But I do think there's a general idea of how we feel about these players."

Specific to the quarterbacks, when we talk about toughness and leadership, do you hear that, hear about it, see it? And if it's seeing it, what do you look for? What tells you the quarterback exhibits those traits you're looking for? Whether it's on the field or when you bring them in face to face?
"I think when you watch the film, you're looking for it, you see it. Obviously our scouts have been compiling information on these guys from colleges for years, some of these guys from two different colleges. And that information is consistent, lines up, which always makes it easier. So we have that amount of information from the colleges, and then you can kind of see how they act, how their body language is on tape. And then when you bring them in, it's really do the people that are, do the players that are here gravitate to them while they're walking around the building? What type of personality do they have? And I would say I've been impressed with with all the quarterbacks that we've talked to in that regard this year."

What was your perspective on what broke down with the pursuit of Calvin Ridley? 
"Another team offered more money would be the main thing."

Jerod had mentioned if another team was willing to offer the bag, it's something you guys got to consider. Has a bag made its way to your desk to consider at this point in terms of a trade offer for No. 3?
"No, not yet."

Is that unusual that it hasn't happened yet? 
"I don't know. I mean it can work both ways. I mean they have up until we're on the clock. So I've seen it in both ways. I was actually at the BYU Pro Day a couple years ago when San Francisco made that trade to go up to three. You know, and we were all there watching one quarterback, so it was kind of an interesting buzz to be at Pro Day."

Back in 2018, you were part of the Browns taking Baker Mayfield at No. 1 overall. How has it, if at all, how is you philosophy in terms of what you're looking for in quarterbacks, especially that high in the draft.
"I don't think it has. Every situation is unique. I mean, obviously Lamar Jackson's a Hall of Famer and we didn't pick him. So that's not a great look. But also if we'd picked Lamar Jackson at one, we might have had to pack our bags at that point too. So nothing's really changed. We're still looking for the good player. And I think in this situation, we're gonna have the support that's needed for that quarterback if we draft one, whoever it is. We're gonna have a situation where they're supported in every way possible to make them succeed.

Do you feel people are underestimating the wide receiver room and what you have at the tackle position?
"I do, yes. I mean, we have NFL receivers. We have NFL tight ends. We have NFL running backs. We have NFL offensive linemen. We feel good about where we are and we feel through free agency on the offensive side in particular, that we've been able to supplement our roster properly so we're not having to draft for need as much offensively."

A few weeks ago, Jerod was talking about the receiver and how you guys were open to a trade, but he also said hopefully a clearer picture comes forth in the next few weeks. Is that an avenue you're still pursuing, or are you now focused on that draft for a receiver? 
"We've had conversations with teams about different scenarios. Not just at receiver, but at other positions. So that's definitely something we'd be open to."

We haven't heard from you since the combine so just curious, why did you guys sign Jacoby Brissett and what kind of role do you envision him playing this offseason, training camp, and then the season. 
"Yeah, we signed to Jacoby because he's a good player. He's a big, strong, relentless preparer, in terms of his ability to take a game plan and apply it through the week to Sunday. He's got a good arm. He's big and strong. And we feel like he, if we ended up drafting a quarterback high, he is someone that can support that player and would be a positive influence on them while competing with them."

If you look at players and say that kid's a good football player, that kid's a good athlete who happens to be good at football. Is there a difference between the two and what's more important to you, a football player or an athlete? 
"A football player is more important. I think when you get a football player that also has those athletic skills, that's kind of what we're looking for. Will we take some chances on height, weight, speed in the later rounds? We might. It kind of just depends how the board falls. I would say we're always going to err on the side of having good football players but if you can get the good football player with those athletic scores that combine into what you're looking for, that's that's ideal."

You spent a lot of time with both Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy. Could you tell us what has impressed you the most about those two specific guys? 
"I would say that the best thing is kind of hearing what their teammates say about them. They're both very well thought of by all their teammates. Obviously, Michigan has a ton of guys in the draft. North Carolina, not as many, but they still have some significant guys. And it's just hearing how impressive they are as teammates, as people, as leaders. And again, I know you've singled out two of them. I would say that's been impressive, I think it's a unique year. I'd say that's been impressive with all six of these quarterbacks that are the top guys."

Between Maye, McCarthy, and (Jayden) Daniels, could you legitimately envision yourself saying any of these guys would be absolutely find to run our team?
"Yeah, I think that's fair. And I think you could open it up to some other names as well. It's I think it's really unique year."

At the league meetings, Jerod Mayo brought up Drake Maye's floor. Do you share that same sentiment? Can you also talk about the confidence you have in Alex Van Pelt, Ben McAdoo, and TC McCartney to develop a quarterback if need be.
"Yeah, I think that's every player. I think you have to weigh the good and the bad on every player, not just a quarterback. Based on what I've seen so far, which is not a lot, I have good confidence in Alex, Ben, and TC. They all have a nice, calm way about them. They're all they all believe in establishing relationships with the players and they've all been successful at developing players. So that's how I'd answer that one."