Jerod Mayo reveals truth about the Krafts involvement in 2024 Draft
Since Bill Belichick was ousted and Jerod Mayo was promoted in his place, there has been much speculation regarding the ownership's involvement in the team's affairs. Rumors suggested Robert and Jonathan Kraft had their hands in everything, from free agency signings to who would be chosen in the draft.
A lot of it was initially fueled by Robert himself, speaking to the media more than he has in the past and sharing his thoughts about what he wanted the team to do moving forward.
Then came reports about Jonathan working directly with Mayo and Eliot Wolf in preparing for this past weekend's draft, after all had previously stated he had no desire to be involved in football operations of any kind.
It sent tremors throughout New England, as most fans hoped the elder Kraft trusted those he put into decision-making decisions and would stick to his word about the higher-ups not getting too immersed into the football side of things.
Since it was said he was working closely with those in the Patriots draft room to determine who to draft, not much had been verified or refuted by any reporters or those inside Gillette Stadium. Because of that, when Mayo appeared on NFL Network in the middle of Day 3, he was asked directly about the current narrative regarding Kraft and the draft.
Jerod Mayo reveals truth about the Krafts involvement in 2024 Draft
After answering a few questions by the rest of the panel, Mayo was asked about the rumors regarding what Peter Schrager referred to as a "collaborative effort" in making draft decisions.
Mayo emphasized it was just that among the staff, but set the record straight about how truly involved either Kraft had over the weekend.
"Ownership has given us the freedom to use our expertise."
The clarification relieved some of the stress of the New England fanbase, who were worried about the Krafts dictating every move the new regime would make.
Although some aren't overly thrilled with the eight picks they chose to draft, the class looks like players Mayo and Wolf would like and want on the team. So that also seemed to validate what the head coach had to say further.
The hope is that Robert Kraft will continue to trust those making the decisions for the team moving forward, and they will be the right ones. The Patriots need to get back to being a competitive team, whether that's as soon as the 2024 season or the next, and hopefully, they're building a solid foundation to do just that.