Patriots Rival General Manager Has High Praise For Two Of Eliot Wolf's Draft Picks originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The New England Patriots addressed many of their needs through the NFL Draft, and one rival general manager was impressed with two of their early picks.

According to The Boston Globe's Ben Volin, one rival general manager spoke highly of the Patriots selecting Gabe Jacas and Eli Raridon. Jacas was the Patriots second round pick and Raridon was the third-round pick this year.

"A rival GM said he 'love(s)' the Patriots’ second- and third-round picks, outside linebacker Gabe Jacas and tight end Eli Raridon, comparing them to Buccaneers pass rusher Ya-Ya Diaby and former Ravens tight end (now with the Chargers) Charlie Kolar," Volin wrote on Saturday.

The Patriots' pass rush had just 35 sacks last season, and it lost one of its biggest contributors in K'Lavon Chaisson. The team signed Dre'Mont Jones, but Jacas has the potential to be a player who elevates the pass rush as a whole. Raridon does not fill an immediate need, but Hunter Henry is in the final year of his deal, and Raridon could be his successor.

The rival general manager also went on to praise two of Wolf's other picks as well.

"The GM believes sixth-round offensive tackle Dametrious Crownover is an intriguing developmental prospect and seventh-round linebacker Quintayvious Hutchins from Boston College 'a great special teamer,'" wrote Volin.

More NFL: Boston Sports Fans In Misery After Soul-Crushing Weekend

ESPN has generally been very careful to cover the saga involving NFL reporter Dianna Russini and New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. But TNT Sports’ Inside the NBA production crew wasn’t afraid to go there in its first season with the Worldwide Leader.

After the Detroit Pistons beat the Orlando Magic in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series on Sunday, Inside the NBA followed on ESPN (the game was on ABC). At the end of the program, Inside the NBA aired its “Gone Fishing” segment, which mocks teams eliminated from the playoffs. The “Gone Fishing” graphics always show stars from the team that has been eliminated, and they frequently include notable figures from the sports and pop culture worlds relating to that team’s city.

Well, the Boston Celtics were eliminated from the NBA Playoffs in a Game 7 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night. And the Inside the NBA “Gone Fishing” graphic included Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Bill Simmons, John Krasinski, Mark Wahlberg, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in Good Will Hunting form… and Russini and Vrabel.

The graphic featured Vrabel holding Russini (who worked at ESPN from 2015 to 2023) at the front of the boat as her arms stretched out a la the “I’m flying” moment between Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in Titanic.

‘Inside the NBA’ on ESPN includes Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel on the “Gone Fishing” graphic for the Boston Celtics. pic.twitter.com/NxhFY302aq

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 4, 2026

Usually, the Inside the NBA crew isn’t afraid to speak its mind. But Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson didn’t know what to do with this one.

“You guys are…” Barkley said, likely referring to the production crew that put the graphic together.

“Our buddy Bill Simmons is in there, John Krasinski, Mark Wahlberg,” Johnson said.

“Who are the two people at the front?” Smith said, surely trying to bait Barkley or Shaq into addressing it. “I don’t know them.”

“Stop it,” Barkley responded. “Stop it.”

“Ben Affleck and Matt Damon on there, Tatum and Brown,” Johnson continued. “That’s all I see on that boat. I don’t see anything else.”

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