Post-draft tidbit reveals surprising behind-the-scenes detail about how another team helped decide a Patriots dilemma
After the conclusion of Round 3, New England Patriots vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf detailed what went into the decision to select Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson, despite running back not being a big need for the team. And he specifically mentioned how there was actually a little debate amongst the room about that. "In all […]
After the conclusion of Round 3, New England Patriots vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf detailed what went into the decision to select Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson, despite running back not being a big need for the team.
And he specifically mentioned how there was actually a little debate amongst the room about that.
"In all honesty, there were some really good conversations before our first pick with Coach Vrabel, Ryan [Cowden], Cam, Matt [Groh] and Alonzo [Highsmith]," Wolf revealed. "Just there was a little bit of a debate about who we were going to pick, and ultimately, one of the players we were talking about got drafted, so it didn't end up mattering, but I think it was a really good step in the right direction just for us working together in our relationship as co-workers because we have to have productive disagreements for this to work.
"We can't just agree on everything; we can't just acquiesce to each other on something, so I think it was really productive from that standpoint."
On Monday, MassLive's Mark Daniels added some additional context to this healthy debate, reporting that the Patriots were between Henderson and Arizona guard Jonah Savaiinaea.
However, the Miami Dolphins traded up to acquire pick 37, which was one before New England was on the clock. And they ended up taking Savaiinaea. So, that ended that discussion.
Daniels also shined a light on the pre-draft process and how Mike Vrabel incorporated all the different opinions. Specifically, "held a pre-draft meeting in February, before the Combine, where he laid how his vision and what he looked for in a prospect at each position," which gave scouts the opportunity to speak out about who they liked.
And when comparing this to the 2024 NFL Draft, sources told MassLive that last season they targeted players for need instead of going for the best available.
So with all of this, it makes sense why Wolf took a moment to praise Vrabel, Ryan Cowden and John Streicher following the draft.
"I just think the whole vision for the team was really good," Wolf said. "This is on me from last year. We just didn't have an organized process and Ryan Cowden and Coach Vrabel and Stretch [John Streicher] really came in and helped me organize this. I think we're going to have a productive group."
3 Winners and 3 Losers for the New England Patriots after the 2025 NFL Draft
Now it’s time to get to work.
