The New England Patriots will soon get used to Drake Maye handling the starting quarterback reins down the road.
Maye comes to the league as the third overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. With the Pats taking him that high, that has to mean he’ll see immediate playing time on Thursday with the Carolina Panthers in town, right?
Here’s where things stand with Maye ahead of his preseason league debut.
Latest on What We Know About Drake Maye Lining up Against Carolina
While the future plan involves Maye taking over as the new QB1 for the six-time Super Bowl winners, there’s a different proposition involving the quarterbacks ahead of New England’s non-conference preseason battle at Gillette Stadium.
Head coach Jerod Mayo, who helped orchestrate Maye’s selection on draft night, has instead chosen veteran Jacoby Brissett as his starter. Mayo confirmed the move about a month ago and reaffirmed it Tuesday.
Sure, this means fans won’t get a chance to see how Maye handles the huddle and offense right out the gate. However, this doesn’t mean Mayo plans to sit the No. 3 overall selection.
“Drake will play,” Mayo told reporters. “Drake will play, and when he gets in the game, we’ll talk about that, but he will play in the game.”
Jerod Mayo on Drake Maye: He will play Thursday night. pic.twitter.com/cIWrsXuEXw
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss)
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What To Expect From Maye in 2024
Mayo and the Pats clearly brought back Brissett (who last played in New England in 2016) to ensure Maye doesn’t get overwhelmed in the NFL right away. His presence gives Maye a veteran with playoff experience to show him the ways.
This scenario is likely to extend into Week 1 of the regular season and beyond. Brissett has done enough to win over Mayo’s confidence in handing the veteran the starting role.
This doesn’t mean Maye has underwhelmed during most of the Patriots’ training camp practices. PFN Patriots reporter Dakota Randall revealed Tuesday that the rookie, in some respects, put together his best full-padded practice. However, Randall also has witnessed Maye deliver hot-and-cold moments — including toward the end of that same practice.
Randall noted Maye went 3 of 4 passing during 7-on-7s but struggled in 11-on-11s by going 5 of 10, had two dropped footballs by his wide receivers, and endured one interception — which got picked off by sixth-round rookie cornerback Marcellas Dial Jr.
Despite starting up and down, Randall notes that Maye has shown some flashy moments, including turning fellow rookie WR Javon Baker into a highlight machine. How much Maye plays on Thursday remains to be seen.
Maye’s Scouting Report Ahead of 2024
Maye is part of a loaded QB class already facing immense expectations to perform immediately.
The 2024 class features six different signal-callers who were taken in Round 1 — matching the previous record in 1983. But while No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams and No. 2 selection Jayden Daniels went ahead of him, PFN’s Ian Cummings rated Maye higher than both.
“Maye is my QB1 in the 2024 NFL Draft, and a top-three prospect along with Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. It’s close between Maye and Williams for QB1, but Maye scored a marginally higher grade from me with his size, athleticism, arm, and leverage IQ,” Cummings wrote in his pre-draft evaluation.
Williams became known as a creator during his stellar time at USC, often delivering explosive plays when things broke down. Cummings, though, noticed Maye was no different in his own right, yet points out how the former North Carolina QB holds his biggest edge with his field IQ.
“Beyond his natural talent, Maye shows promising operational qualities for a young quarterback. There are still a few mechanical issues for him to chip away at, and his occasional lapses in decision-making can be frustrating. But overall, Maye’s mental game is just as exciting as his physical upside,” Cummings said.
Cummings even compared the Tar Heels’ star to the Green Bay Packers’ Jordan Love, who recently inked a new $220 million deal. Overall, Cummings believes Maye has “franchise QB” written all over him, even though he won’t be the QB1 right off the bat Thursday.
“Maye has all of the qualities of a franchise QB. Not only that, he’s one of the best QB prospects to come out over the past few cycles, rivaling names like Trevor Lawrence, Joe Burrow, and C.J. Stroud,” Cummings said.
