The New England Patriots have found a new leader in their pro scouting department, and he's a familiar face to at least one member of the front office.
The Patriots have hired A.J. Highsmith as their director of pro scouting, The Boston Globe's Christopher Price reports. Highsmith is the son of Patriots senior personnel executive Alonzo Highsmith, who joined the front office at the beginning of last season.
A.J. Highsmith replaces former Patriots director of player personnel Patrick Stewart, who left the team in February to become the general manager at the University of Nebraska.
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SIGN UP HERE Like his father Alonzo, A.J. Highsmith played football at the University of Miami (Fla.) as both a quarterback and defensive back. After graduating in 2013, Highsmith joined the San Francisco 49ers in 2014 as a pro personnel scout and spent the next 10-plus years in NFL front offices, with stops in Buffalo (as an area scout) and Tennessee (scouting director).
The Titans parted ways with Highsmith this offseason after hiring new general manager Mike Borgonzi, and now Highsmith will join his father in a front office led by head coach Mike Vrabel, executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and vice president of player personnel (and former Titans general manager) Ryan Cowden.
