The New England Patriots scouting department is undergoing some changes with the 2026 NFL Draft over. After already parting ways with director of scouting projects Marshall Oium, the reigning AFC champions also had to make a change at their Midwest area scout position.
Justin Hickman, who had been with the organization since 2020, left to become a national scout with the Atlanta Falcons. To replace him, the Patriots hired long-time Panthers scout Robert Haines.
NFL insider Neil Stratton was first to report the moves.
Haines arrives in New England after a 22-year tenure in Carolina. He started out in the Panthers’ video department in 2002 and later went on to serve as college scouting assistant (2005-06) and pro scouting assistant (2007). Afters serving as a Combine scout in 2008 and 2009, he took. over as the team’s Northeast area scout in 2010. In 2021, Haines took over the Southeast and was ultimately named a national scout in 2022.
Following the 2024 season, the Panthers parted was with the North Carolina native. A year later, he has now joined the Patriots and is returning to his roots as an area scout.
Haines joining New England’s scouting department should not come as a particular surprise. After all, he spent 14 of his 22 years with the Panthers as a colleague of current Patriots vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden, whose own career started in Carolina in 2000.
The man he will be replacing, Hickman, came to New England in 2020. A former defensive end, who spent time in both the NFL and CFL during his career, he joined the Patriots after previously working as a scout for the Toronto Argonauts (2017-19) and as an analyst and scouting manager for the XFL’s Tampa Bay Vipers (2020).
Besides Hickman, the Patriots had four other area scouts on their staff entering 2026: Alex Brooks (Southwest), J.T. Hill (Southeast), Landon Simpson (West) and Bryson Speas (Northeast).
