Patriots’ ‘Final Say’ Debate Rages On After Eliot Wolf’s Comments

The NFL draft is weeks away, and while there is a good idea of who the Patriots might pick at No. 4, the big debate is who will have final say over the decision.

Executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf claimed at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine that he had final say over the draft pick. However, multiple New England insiders highlighted the culture shift under Mike Vrabel, which painted a picture of the head coach controlling the team. When you add in vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden and vice president of football operations and strategy John Streicher, the power structure becomes even more vague.

The long and drawn-out titles certainly don’t help matters, but when Kay Adams asked Wolf about his thoughts on Travis Hunter, the Patriots executive’s response raised eyebrows for fans.

“That’s a great question, and I think if he’s available, which is a huge question mark, that will be up to the coaching staff to determine where he’s going to fit in and also if we would even pick him,” Wolf told Adams on Monday on “Up and Adams.”

The question was about whether Wolf liked the idea of Hunter pairing with Stefon Diggs or Christian Gonzalez. The non-answer didn’t leave anything for Patriots fans to cling to, but the “up to the coaching staff” line was what caught their attention.

Did that hint that Vrabel ultimately had final say over whether or not New England would draft Hunter? Depending on their opinion of Wolf, it did for some fans.

The 43-year-old’s first year as de facto general manager was a disaster, something he was open about. But the idea of him having any control over the team struck fear in some fans despite Vrabel’s insistence that it was a collaborative process.

Ultimately, it might not matter as long as the Patriots make the correct decisions to rebuild the roster. But as long as Wolf continues to give vague answers, the more his standing in New England’s power structure will be questioned.