With the NFL Draft rapidly approaching, the New England Patriots have a clear need to improve at edge rusher. While that doesn’t need to come from an impact rookie, it’s now looking more and more like Eliot Wolf, the team’s EVP of Player Personnel, is looking to add there.
On Monday, April 13th, Wolf held a press conference. There, he shared some insight into the team’s plans are at edge rusher. In particular, the need to add some speed there.
“We could complement [free agent signing Dre’Mont Jones] with some speed,” Wolf said, “I think that’s evident. Dre’Mont and Harold [Landry III] and Elijah [Ponder] and some of the other guys we have, they all have their skill sets. We would like to get faster, Dre’Mont’s a guy who can play across the line, run games, he can sneaky beat you with speed but that’s probably not his bread and butter. So, that’s an area we’re looking to try to improve the depth on the roster.”
Wolf would add an important distinction to that as well. Yes, he wants to get faster, but he’s not going to compromise size to get faster.
“I never want a smaller guy; faster guy,” Wolf said.
Edge Rusher was Named the Top Need for the New England Patriots in the NFL Draft
GettyNew England Patriots edge rusher Harold Landry III
There are some obvious needs for the New England Patriots that go beyond edge rusher. However, it’s becoming more and more apparent that it is the team’s top need, which Boston Herald writer Doug Kyed recently broke down.
“The Patriots enter the week before the draft with a rebuilt room of outside linebackers. Gone are K’Lavon Chaisson and Anfernee Jennings. Dre’Mont Jones and Jesse Luketa have replaced them alongside Harold Landry, Elijah Ponder and Bradyn Swinson,” Kyed wrote. “The Patriots could, technically, go into the season with Jones and Landry as starters and hope for second-year leaps out of Ponder and Swinson, but that feels incredibly risky.”
None of that is to say that edge rusher is their only need going forward. However, it is clear that Wolf will be keeping his eye on the right edge rusher in the first round.
Among the faster edge rushers, by 40-yard dash time, who could be available late in the first or even the second round of the NFL Draft are Cashius Howell from Texas A&M and Malachi Lawrence from UCF. On his latest Big Board, Mel Kiper Jr. has them both ranked in his Top 10 outside linebackers.
Eliot Wolf is Open to Trading Up in the NFL Draft
GettySTANFORD, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 07: Executive vice president of player development Eliot Wolf of the New England Patriots looks on before taking a team photo prior to Super Bowl LX at Stanford Stadium on February 07, 2026 in Stanford, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
There is no shortage of options in this NFL Draft for the New England Patriots. Having 11 picks is going to do that for a team. So, that will allow Eliot Wolf to trade up, if there is the right opportunity to do so.
“We’re open to anything,” Wolf said. “Whatever way we can possibly improve the team, we’re open to. We have 11 picks. Most of those are kind of later in the draft, but we do have some flexibility with those 11 picks. I think it’ll depend a little bit on how the board falls. If we view that there’s a player that whether he’s falling or there’s somebody that we think we need to go get, we’ll be open to those opportunities.”
The NFL Draft will begin with the first round on Thursday, April 23rd. There, the Patriots currently hold the No. 31 overall pick.
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