New England Patriots GM Eliot Wolf proves his brilliance with latest move that will go overlooked

The New England Patriots reversed course by trading away linebacker Marte Mapu after initially informing him of his release.

AJ Schulte — College Football Trending News Writer
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Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New England Patriots general manager Eliot Wolf speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center.
Feb 24, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New England Patriots general manager Eliot Wolf speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

On Tuesday, the New England Patriots had initially informed former third-round pick Marte Mapu of his release. The linebacker/safety hybrid hadn’t quite found his footing in New England, and the team needed the roster space.

However, the Houston Texans came calling and struck a deal with the team before Mapu was released. The Texans will get Mapu and a 2027 seventh-round pick, while the Patriots will get a 2027 sixth-round pick.

Eliot Wolf shows his stripes as New England Patriots GM

Eliot Wolf grew up in the “Packers Way” as the son of longtime executive Ron Wolf. Part of that philosophy is the accumulation of a ton of draft picks.

So far in his time as the de-facto general manager of the Patriots, he’s done exactly that. New England has made 19 picks in the last two drafts and have another 11 picks in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. As it stands now, that would be 30 picks in three drafts.

Thanks to the Mapu trade, Wolf has continued that trend heading into 2027. The Patriots now have nine picks in the 2027 NFL Draft, including three sixth-round picks. Keep in mind, New England also traded center Garrett Bradbury and wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk for additional 2027 picks as well.

Wolf has had his fair share of criticism, especially after the disaster of the non-Drake Maye picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. However, his approach of accumulating picks has long been a tried and true method, and it’s helped put the Patriots in Super Bowl contention.

New England now has plenty of flexibility in the next two years to potentially be aggressive. The more swings you have in the draft, the better, as recently evidenced by the Los Angeles Rams. If the Patriots can keep finding impactful rookies like Maye, Will Campbell, Jared Wilson, Craig Woodson, and Kyle Williams, they will stay in Super Bowl contention for years to come.