Former Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia scurried back to the New England Patriots after his failed stint running the Lions. In an interesting twist, Patricia is now playing a prominent role in the Patriots’ draft evaluation process.
Mike Giardi of the NFL Network noted that Patriots head coach and de facto GM Bill Belichick trumpeted up Patricia’s value in this draft process. That goes against the grain from how Patricia operated in Detroit, where he largely deferred to GM Bob Quinn in terms of player evaluation and draft value. The Lions had a decidedly mixed bag of drafting outcomes under Quinn and Patricia, and it trended poorly the more Patricia got involved later in his three-year tenure.
Patricia’s role with the Patriots doesn’t have a clear definition. He doesn’t appear on the team’s official website in the front office or coaching staff listings. He was the defensive coordinator under Belichick prior to taking the Lions job in the 2018 offseason.
Bill Belichick says Matt Patricia has been heavily involved in the process with regards to the draft. #Patriots brought back their former DC/#Lions HC this offseason.
— Michael Giardi (@MikeGiardi) April 15, 2021
