NFL Insider Adds Follow-Up To Jonathan Kraft-Patriots Draft Report

Patriots fans might have been spooked by a certain report in the days leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft.

The Athletic’s Dianna Russini on Monday reported Jonathan Kraft will be “heavily involved in the decision making” for one of the most important drafts in New England franchise history. While Kraft obviously has an undeniable track record as a businessman, he’s not a football expert by any stretch.

But in a column published Wednesday morning, Russini added more context to her report about the longtime team president.

“A longtime league executive says this is a more involved ownership, with a group of scouts presenting the information and a head coach and general manager charged with filling a depleted roster,” Russini wrote. “The team has yet to award the title of general manager to Eliot Wolf, who is running point, and it has shifted to a more collaborative process overseen by Jonathan Kraft. Ownership is allowing the football decision-makers to make the calls while keeping open a constant line of communication. But make no mistake, the Krafts know everything that is going on, as they should.”

Russini’s follow-up was pretty in line with a report from Scott Zolak on Tuesday. The former Patriots quarterback claimed ownership won’t rule with an iron fist on decisions focused squarely on football, such as which player to take at No. 3. However, Zolak is under the impression New England execs would need clearance from the Krafts on seismic business decisions, such as potentially trading down.

Basically, it sounds like Jonathan and Robert Kraft want to be kept abreast of all draft considerations and would like to have their voice heard across the three days in Detroit. That’s a fair ask for the folks who own the team, especially after a long stretch in which Bill Belichick effectively operated with carte blanche.