NFL Draft analyst shares encouraging insight on Pats’ front office originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The fate of the New England Patriots rests in the hands of Eliot Wolf and the front office.
That may seem like hyperbole, but this offseason is critical for a rebuilding Patriots team that owns a wealth of cap space and the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the franchise’s highest selection since 1993. After a relatively quiet free agent period, New England needs to hit on multiple draft picks — especially No. 3, which could yield the team’s franchise quarterback in Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye — if it wants to return to contention in the near future.
That’s a tall task for de facto general manager Eliot Wolf, but he has help in Alonzo Highsmith, who joined the Patriots as a personnel executive in February. The former NFL running back worked alongside Wolf in the Green Bay Packers’ and Cleveland Browns’ front offices and most recently was the general manager of football operations at the University of Miami, his alma mater.
On the latest episode of NBC Sports Boston’s Next Pats Podcast, NFL.com draft expert Lance Zierlein joined host Phil Perry to share his perspective on Highsmith, whom Zierlein has known since 1998 when Highsmith was just getting into scouting at the NFL level.
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“He has a rare vision for running backs. He’s a very good evaluator,” Zierlein said of Highsmith. “I remember he had a really high grade on L’Jarius Sneed coming out of (Louisiana Tech) and I didn’t see it. I remember he was just pounding the table for L.J. Sneed when he came out in the draft … and he was right on him.
“He has a great feel for Day 3 players. Tremendous. He is somebody who sees things like Eliot Wolf does, but they’re not afraid to have arguments.”
Check out the video above for more from Zierlein on Highsmith and Wolf.
Sneed fell to the Chiefs in the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-draft-analyst-shares-encouraging-131954276.html
Author : NBC Sports Boston
Publish date : 2024-03-22 13:22:58
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