We now know who will be leading the New England Patriots’ personnel department in 2022.
The Patriots announced Tuesday that college scouting director Matt Groh had been promoted to director of player personnel, the second-in-command position behind head coach/de facto general manager Bill Belichick. Groh replaces Dave Ziegler, who left to join Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas as Raiders GM.
A Hingham, Mass., native, Groh has been with the Patriots since 2011, beginning as a scouting assistant before spending six seasons as an area scout, two as a national scout and one as director of college scouting.
Last offseason, Groh played a key role in the Patriots’ retooled NFL draft approach, which was described as “different” and “more collaborative.” A behind-the-scenes video from inside New England’s draft room showed Belichick seeking input from Ziegler, Groh and scouting consultant Eliot Wolf before the team selected quarterback Mac Jones with the 15th overall pick.
“We’re all good with this?” Belichick asked his top lieutenants. “… Matt, you’re good with this?”
The Patriots later hit on defensive tackle Christian Barmore in the second round and running back Rhamondre Stevenson in the fourth, making their 2021 draft class the franchise’s best in recent memory.
“They’ve done a ton of work, and their respective staffs that they oversee, as well,” Belichick said of Ziegler, Groh and Wolf before last year’s draft. “But in particular, those three guys have really done a tremendous amount of work, evaluation, organization and have done a great job of putting things together. So it’s been great to spend a lot of time with them and to go through the process.”
Groh’s father, Al, coached in the NFL and college for decades, including stints with Belichick in New York (Giants and Jets), Cleveland and New England. His brother, Mike, is the Giants’ wide receivers coach.
Wolf, who interviewed for GM jobs with the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings this offseason, also was viewed as a potential replacement for Ziegler. He and Groh recently spearheaded the Patriots’ scouting contingent at the 2022 Senior Bowl, according to a report from ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
