3 & Out - Commanders GM Adam Peters on Breaking Into the NFL, the Belichick Years, Top Golf QB Visit Drama, & Drafting Sonny Styles

Three and Out, big show today: Washington’s GM Adam Peters is here, a guy who came up under Belichick, worked with Elway and Peyton, then Shanahan and Lynch. Quick rant before we dive in: the Wembanyama-as-GOAT talk needs brakes, not gas—great talent, sure, but let’s see MVPs and full offensive polish before we place him with Jordan, LeBron, or Curry; Ohtani’s two-way is truly singular, Mahomes is all-time elite without catching Brady’s resume, and there’s no next Tiger, period.

You ended up on the hiring committee for a program you love; would you have believed that back when you were a young staffer?

Not at all, and it was an honor; once I spoke with Bob, it felt obvious—he’d built winners everywhere, brought energy right away, and he’s recruiting well, though like everyone now we need more resources to keep pace.

Listeners always ask how to break into this business; how different are college recruiting staffs now compared to when you started?

Night and day; big programs now have layers of roles and tons of people, while I once did everything alone—video, recruiting, breakdowns—which is great for the sport because more passionate folks can get a real shot.

Your Patriots break came from a chance visit, right?

Total luck—my boss was out, I hosted Scott Pioli and Jason Licht, stayed in touch, hustled at the Shrine practices, and got hired; my first day was the 2003 combine.

People joke about the twenty hours, twenty thousand culture—what was a day actually like back then?

Long, demanding, and exacting; the standard was relentless, I got chewed out mostly by Scott, sometimes by Bill, and you had to juggle multiple tasks at once, but the place shaped my bar for detail and put me around future head coaches and GMs.

You lived with Nick Caserio—did the stories about his discipline hold up?

Absolutely; he once tried pizza at our Friday break and his body practically rejected it, which tells you how dialed he was—his structure and work ethic were unreal, and those bonds from that grind have lasted.

When did you first feel, I can do this?

Nancy Meyer and Andre Tippett kept me steady, and scouting Matthew Slater was my turning point; I watched every special-teams rep, pounded the details, we took him in the fifth, and it proved the extra work matters.

Fast-forward to Denver: elite defenses, big swings, and Elway’s presence—what did you take from that run?

I went with Matt Russell, Josh McDaniels got let go, and then John arrived; he listened, knew what he didn’t know, empowered the room, and we rattled off division titles while he helped land Peyton and cornerstone free agents, and I learned to add value late—like finding C. J. Anderson—when you are not in the first-round huddle.

You later helped run the 49ers’ personnel with John Lynch; where did you really learn to negotiate?

From Paraag Marathe and Brian Hampton—two of the best; I used to give in too fast, they taught me to see the other side, read bluffs, and operate within a truly collaborative setup that tied cap, analytics, scouting, and coaching together, which I wanted to replicate as a GM.

You took heat for hosting multiple first-round QBs at one Topgolf visit; what were you actually trying to learn?

It is a small, relaxed slice of a long day that helps guys drop their guard so we can know them better; we have done versions of it for years, we will keep doing it, and this spring our bays were stacked with All-Americans who had a blast—even if most were terrible at golf.

At seven, was Sonny Styles a no-brainer once the board fell the way it did?

Yes; we respected Caleb Downs too, but Sonny’s size, speed, leadership, and makeup made the choice clear, and he is already setting a tone in the weight room and on the field.

As a prospect, is he up there with the best linebackers you have scouted?

Luke Kuechly set a high bar, and Sonny has a real chance to be one of the best if he keeps stacking days; we are excited without crowning anyone.

Summer plans before camp?

A family trip to Montauk with my daughters, then right back to work; two new coordinators, good energy at OTAs, and one eye always on the season ahead.

Nothing beats that first hit of summer grass when football is around the corner.

The Rose Bowl’s grass still smells the best and takes me right back, even if most of my snaps were late in blowouts; appreciate you having me on.

Loved this—thanks for making time, and we will be watching you guys this fall.