Eliot Wolf of the New England Patriots indicates plans to strengthen the linebacker position in the upcoming NFL Draft. With significant turnover in the linebacker room, the team may invest in a new off-the-ball linebacker.
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Foxborough, MA - March 12: New England Patriots Executive Vice President of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf meets with the media on March 12, 2026. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
Even though Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss are set to return as the top two options, the New England Patriots are in the process of rebuilding their linebacker room. The depth behind them, after all, has seen some significant turnover this offseason
Jack Gibbens, last yearās No. 3, signed with the Cardinals in free agency. Jahlani Tavai was cut. Marte Mapu was traded to Houston. The Patriots also added K.J. Britt to complete a group that also currently includes Chad Muma and former practice squadders Otis Reese and Amari Gainer.
While the group has strength in numbers, it is relatively unproven in the Patriotsā system outside of Spillane and Elliss. Even more concerning than that is the lack of long-term perspective, however, which is why New England investing one of its 11 current selections in the upcoming NFL Draft in an off-the-ball linebacker very much appears to be in the cards.
Quality options can be found all over the draft, but it appears the Patriots have set their sights on one particular area: Day 3. That, at least, is what executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said earlier this week.
āI do think itās a good position Day 3 from a depth standpoint,ā Wolf told reporters at Gillette Stadium. āI think there are a lot of players that you could justify using a Day 3 pick on.ā
Whether or not the Patriots will act according to their quasi-GMās statements remains to be seen, but a look at some of the available options shows that several of those are worthy of consideration.
Linebackers such as Kaleb Elarms-Orr, Taurean York Bryce Boettcher, Jimmy Rolder or Red Murdock all fit the Mike Vrabel mold of ābacker: athletic players who bring a blue-collar attitude to the position. All of them are projected to come off the board on Day 3, something that might also happen with Khalil Jacobs, who the team has .
The current top linebackers for the New England Patriots are Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss.
This offseason, Jack Gibbens signed with the Cardinals, Jahlani Tavai was cut, and Marte Mapu was traded to Houston.
The New England Patriots currently have 11 selections in the upcoming NFL Draft.
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Ultimately, the board and the teamās internal evaluations will decide whether or not any of them ā or other options ā will be realistic targets. However, Wolf praising the groupās depth is understandable: it is pretty good, even though, as he point it out, it is lacking in overall high-end quality.
āI think itās solid,ā he said. āI think itās probably a little bit similar to the way it was last year. Maybe, for me at least, I thought it was going to be a little bit better than maybe thatās come out.ā