Drake Maye has drawn both praise and criticism in the lead up to the 2024 NFL Draft. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman, File)
With the Patriots holding onto the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, there stands a good chance that UNC QB Drake Maye will be on the board when New England lands on the clock.
It’d be a welcome development for the Patriots, who are in desperate need of a game-changing talent at quarterback in 2024 and beyond.
Maye — who has held court as a viable top-five pick in the 2024 draft class for months now — does fit the billing for New England, given his pro-ready frame, strong arm, and potential for further growth.
But that doesn’t mean Maye is a slam-dunk pick for the Patriots if he’s available at No. 3, with several NFL executives offering both high praise and some sobering concerns about the young QB in a new piece from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Fowler placed 11 quarterbacks in this draft class in different tiers as part of his new story, with Maye landing in “Tier 2” alongside LSU’s Jayden Daniels. USC’s Caleb Williams was the lone entrant in Fowler’s “Tier 1” designation, while Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy was placed in “Tier 2.5.”
As far as Maye’s NFL comparisons, scouts and execs tabbed the UNC signal-caller as similar to Josh Allen (with less arm strength) and Carson Wentz.
“Extremely gifted athlete, best size of all the guys — confident he’s still developing with enormous upside,” one executive told Fowler of Maye’s potential. “Can make all of the throws and is a very good athlete to create on his own as a runner and passer. Highly competitive. He’s got star potential.”
Even with his appealing skillset, another staffer told Fowler that Maye might need some seasoning before taking the reins of an NFL offense.
“Huge upside, but way more of a project than he appears to be,” an NFL coordinator told Fowler. “Footwork all over the place, same with his eyes. Kind of just makes plays off raw talent and athleticism. Thought he would be much more polished.”
Granted, the Patriots may not necessarily be in a rush to throw Maye into the fire if they draft him. Not only do they have veteran QB Jacoby Brissett in place to serve as a potential bridge starter in 2024, but New England may want to further build up their roster in 2024 and 2025 before giving Maye the keys to the team.
“He does need some time, and there will be growing pains, but you take him because he has the most upside of everybody,” one high-ranking NFL staffer told Fowler. “There’s major ability there. I worry that if you take him and you don’t have a supporting cast and a good offensive line or receivers and he has to play right away, he will struggle early.”
Even though New England could shore up its offensive line and receiving corps via the draft, the Patriots don’t exactly boast a roster conducive to easing a rookie QB into the NFL — at least when it comes to both pass protection and weapons on offense.
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2024-04-17 03:13:50
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