Patriots' Drake Maye Has 'Mythical' Reputation Around NFL

It's no secret that the New England Patriots got their guy with the third-overall pick in last year's draft in the selection of Drake Maye.

So much so that it seems that the Patriots' rookie quarterback has begun to gain a "mythical reputation" among his peers and the rest of the NFL.

In an interview with The Next Pats Podcast, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport dove into what makes Maye viewed as such a special guy acrosss league circles.

“Drake Maye in the NFL has a little bit of, like a mythical reputation," Rapoport said. "He was the guy everybody wanted in the draft. It was Caleb [Williams], Jayden Daniels, and everybody wanted Drake Maye. Everyone tried to trade up for him... I thought and we kind of being told that [the Patriots] were considering trade options."

The Patriots did have opportunities to trade out of the selection to draft Maye. However, the front office opted to stick and pick for their franchise quarterback, and so far, it's panned out to be a stellar decision.

"And then you look back on it, and I don’t get the sense that they considered basically anything," Rapoport continued. "I mean, they considered it, but not actually. I don’t think they were about to do anything… And then he went out and played with a not good team, without great talent, with an offensive line that should be talent — and really looked not very good, receivers that were not very good… and he looked good… [There were] a lot of reasons this [head-coaching] job was desirable. Drake Maye is the top of the list.”

Through his first season with the Patriots, Maye threw for 2,276 passing yards on a 66.6% completion rate with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He made the most of a rough roster and situation and still had several highlight plays with his athleticism and explosive ability, further presenting his sky-high potential.

Now with an experienced, tested head coach Mike Vrabel leading the way with hopes right the ship in New England, the added structure can potentially provide Maye a runway to takeoff in his year two season, proving those around the league correct of his lofty expectations.