The New England Patriots selected quarterback Drake Maye with the third overall pick in the 2024 draft. He was the third QB to come off the board after the Chicago Bears took Caleb Williams first and the Washington Commanders grabbed Jayden Daniels with the second pick. Unlike Williams and Daniels, Maye didn’t play right away. The Patriots waited until Week 6 to name Maye the starter over veteran Jacoby Brissett.
After starting four games – although his Week 8 outing against the New York Jets was cut short due to a concussion – Patriots’ head coach Jerod Mayo was asked to evaluate Maye.
“This is what we saw as we went through the process. We spent a lot of time with Drake. The scouts spent a lot of time with him. I spent a lot of time with him. We had good one-on-one conversations, and this is what we expected. In saying that, he's a very coachable guy, and talking to his coach in college, he said the exact same thing. He's a competitor. You talk to his dad, he says the exact same thing. So, I think this, from a mentality standpoint, this is who he is, and we appreciate that mindset,” Mayo said, per a press conference transcript provided by the Patriots' official site.
Patriots’ QB Drake Maye is proving worthy of the third pick in the draft
Because of his quarterback-rich draft class, Maye will always be compared to Daniels and Williams. It’s a tough break because Daniels has been extraordinary, setting NFL records and leading the Commanders to a 7-2 record. Williams has also shown flashes of brilliance, although he hasn’t enjoyed the same team success as the Bears are 4-4 and in last place in the NFC North.
The rookie quarterback rankings through Week 8 predictably have Daniels and Williams first and second followed by the Denver Broncos’ Bo Nix. Maye is ranked fourth. But, to be fair, Drake is just getting started.
Once he got his chance, Maye proved he belonged, throwing three touchdown passes in his first start and breathing new life into the Patriots’ passing game. In Week 9, Maye pulled off a miraculous touchdown that forced overtime against the Tennessee Titans. The play showed off all of the young passer’s alluring attributes – his athleticism, toughness and arm strength.
Of course, Maye is a rookie and that comes with rookie mistakes. After getting New England to overtime on Sunday, Maye threw a game-ending interception. Still, the Patriots have to be encouraged by what they’ve seen from the first-year signal caller so far. The results haven’t shown up in the team’s record just yet as the Patriots are 2-7 this season. But Maye could be the long-term answer at quarterback for the franchise.
