Eliot Wolf didn't necessarily tip his hand on what the New England Patriots will do at quarterback this season at the NFL Combine, but it doesn't sound too great for Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.

Speaking to reporters for the first time since reportedly becoming the Patriots' chief roster decision-maker, Wolf seemed to acknowledge the obvious when asked about the Patriots' quarterback situation without outright saying it, via the Patriots and Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald.

“I’d say there’s a lot of options on the table,” Wolf said. “I’m glad you asked about Mac and Bailey — we’re not going to be a program that’s talking about these guys in terms of through the media. We’re going to do what’s best for the team behind the scenes and the strategy of that is going to be myself, [head coach] Jerod Mayo, [director of player personnel] Matt Groh. And we’re going to do the right thing for the team.”

Jones and Zappe notably struggled in 2023, with both throwing for more interceptions than touchdowns as the Patriots were tied for last in scoring. Jones' struggles, of course, were more noteworthy as the third-year, first-round pick continued the downward trajectory from his second season. He was benched in four games before Zappe was made the starting quarterback for good in Week 13.

Zappe didn't do much to improve the Patriots as they went 2-4 in their final six games, with the play of both quarterbacks being a big reason why they have the No. 3 overall pick in this year's draft.

How Patriots' Eliot Wolf feels about quarterbacks in 2024 NFL Draft class

As the Patriots are in prime position to select one of the three top quarterback prospects in this year's draft, Wolf shared his initial thoughts on the crop of quarterback prospects.

“I think it’s a really good year for quarterbacks,” Wolf said. “It’s a really good year for a lot of positions. Like any position, we’re going to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses to determine who fits for us. We’re pretty early in the process here — I haven’t met any of these guys. So, as we continue through the process here, we’ll determine what’s best for the team.

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“And one thing about the quarterbacks in this draft specifically that I’m excited about is they all look like they’re really tough guys — which is obviously great at any position, but the quarterback position especially.”

Entering the combine, there seems to be a consensus that three quarterbacks will be selected with the top three picks. Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels have been going in the top three in several mock drafts in some order.

All three showed the ability to be dual-threat quarterbacks in college, which is a positive in Wolf's eyes. But there's something else he values more than traits.

“First of all, being someone that can elevate his teammates, someone that your teammates want to play for,” Wolf said. “I think that’s an extremely underrated thing that people don’t talk about that much. Leadership is important. And, obviously, physical talent — we wouldn’t be talking about these guys if they weren’t physically talented.”