Lost in offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’s departure to the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason was the Patriots’ simultaneous loss of Dave Ziegler, who left his job as New England’s director of player personnel to serve as the Raiders’ general manager.
Ziegler, who was essentially Bill Belichick’s right hand last season, helped turn around a struggling draft process with a high-impact 2021 NFL Draft class, which included Mac Jones, Christian Barmore, and Rhamondre Stevenson. Replacing the executive before the 2022 draft, therefore, was of utmost importance for the Patriots.
New England did just that on Tuesday, naming Matt Groh as Ziegler’s replacement as director of player personnel.