FOXBORO, Mass. — Two of the top quarterback prospects in recent memory will share the field Sunday afternoon in Chicago.
Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, will square off against Drake Maye, the No. 3 pick, when the Chicago Bears host the New England Patriots in a Week 10 matchup.
Williams was the consensus top prospect available in the draft, but Maye wasn’t far behind and even owned the top spot on the final Pro Football Network Big Board. Let’s look at what Maye and Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said about facing Williams, then compare the two quarterbacks’ respective rookie performances.
Drake Maye Eager To Face Fellow First-Round QB Caleb Williams
During his Wednesday news conference, Maye was asked to reveal how much time he spent with Williams and Jayden Daniels (the No. 2 pick) during the draft process.
“I think both as rookies, coming out as quarterbacks, you spend a lot of time with those guys,” Maye said. “You see them, some on visits, some at the Combine. Really, with Caleb, I’ve seen him since high school. We’d go to the same camps. We were at the Elite 11 [camp] with each other. We got some college visits together.
“So, the whole thing, going through the process again. We kept up with each other in college. We were friends, and I enjoyed watching him do his thing.”
Maye then admitted he isn’t treating Sunday like just any other game.
“Now I get a chance to compete,” Maye said. “So, anytime you’re going against a rookie quarterback in the same class, or any quarterback in your class in general, it’s a little extra. I’m looking forward to going out there and getting a chance to play the Bears.”
LIVE: Drake Maye Press Conference 11/6: https://t.co/XfwgybOouA
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 6, 2024
Maye also was asked to share insight into what makes Williams such a talented quarterback.
“I think the play is never over with Caleb,” Maye said. “That’s the biggest thing. I think it’s his talent of throwing, making difficult throws. The normal, the regular eye of your quarterback, you kind of see, ‘Man, that’s a good throw.’
“I think watching them play the Jags earlier this year, he hit Keenan Allen on a little seam, back shoulder. You see throws like that, and you take that for granted. He’s just so talented. I think, like I said, getting to know him and seeing him compete. We’ve never played each other, so it’s the first time. It’ll be pretty cool.”
How Does Jerod Mayo Feel About Williams?
Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo talked about Williams during his opening statement on Wednesday.
“He’s a very good player,” Mayo said. “This guy is able to extend plays. He’s very athletic. I watched him a little bit coming out and then really just diving into the tape. This guy is very athletic. He’s elusive. He has great vision in the pocket, and I would say he scrambles more to make throws.
” … On the other side, you go against some quarterbacks in there, they’ll take off and get down the field. Not saying that he doesn’t do that, but he definitely does a good job keeping his eyes down the field and making those throws.”
LIVE: Jerod Mayo Press Conference 11/6: https://t.co/QJRbBeJMEP
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 6, 2024
Mayo said he didn’t meet with Williams often during the draft process and admitted he didn’t put much thought into drafting the USC product.
“For me personally, not much,” Mayo said of his pre-draft interactions with Williams. “For me, I think it was pretty clear-cut that he was going to be the first pick overall. Now, not speaking for the scouting department; I know they’ve done all their research, and they had multiple interactions with Caleb.”
Comparing Maye and Williams Ahead of Week 10 Showdown
Comparing Williams and Maye is an imperfect exercise, as Williams began the season as Chicago’s starting quarterback where as Maye didn’t take over for Jacoby Brissett until Week 6. Plus, Williams entered the NFL as a more polished, pro-ready passer; Maye was more raw and had significantly less experience.
Nevertheless, both rookies have experienced highs and lows while showcasing franchise QB potential. Let’s start with box-score stats.
In eight games, Williams completed 61.4% of his passes while posting per-game averages of 208.1 passing yards per game, 27.6 rushing yards, 1.1 touchdown passes, 0.6 interceptions, 0.5 fumbles, and 3.6 sacks. He currently owns an 83.0 passer rating.
As for Maye, in four starts, the UNC product completed 66.67% of his passes while posting per-game averages of 187 passing yards, 49.3 rushing yards, 1.5 touchdown passes, 1.0 interceptions, 0.8 fumbles, and 2.8 sacks. Maye, who also played one drive in Week 3, currently owns an 85.1 passer rating.
Good fundamental awareness from the offense.@bhoyer7’s review of the final play in regulation. pic.twitter.com/KJDKrdwUgx
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 6, 2024
If you’re into Pro Football Focus grades, Maye is currently ranked 27th, while Williams is ranked 33rd. Maye owns the higher rushing and total offense grades, whereas Williams has a better passing grade.
Now let’s dive a little deeper.
For as impressive as Maye has been, he’s also been careless with the football. He committed six total turnovers in his first five games and barely played in two of the contests. Meanwhile, Williams posted seven total turnovers in his first eight starts.
Maye currently owns the highest turnover-worthy-play percentage among all QBs with at least four starts (5.3%), per TruMedia. Williams ranks 25th with a 2.6% turnover-worthy-play percentage.
Some of that is due to Maye’s sloppy fundamentals and schoolyard playstyle. However, New England’s struggling offensive line has also played a role, although the unit vastly improved over the last few weeks. Maye has been pressured on 37.2% of plays, good for the 13th-highest rate in the NFL. Williams’ 36.1% pressure rate ranks 17th.
Considering Williams is more of a refined pocket quarterback, you might be surprised to learn that Maye has been the better player when under pressure — at least according to some metrics.
Among QBs with at least four starts, Maye currently owns the league’s 14th-highest passer rating when under pressure (79.4). Williams ranks 25th with a 60.5 passer rating. Moreover, among all quarterbacks, Maye ranks 18th in EPA per dropback when under pressure, whereas Williams ranks 36th.
Maye also has a better third-down conversion percentage, more explosive plays, a better EPA per dropback, and a higher total QBR.
With all that said, the sample size is small, and Maye and Williams are in two very different situations. We’ll see what the stats look like at the end of the season, but to this point, Maye compares favorably to his more-heralded classmate.
In fact, according to X account @Bostonsportsinf, Maye is the first quarterback in NFL history in their first four starts to post at least 700 passing yards, six passing TDs, 200 rushing yards, one rushing TD, and a 60.0 completion percentage.
“Josh Allen 2.0,” Patriots nose tackle Davon Godchaux said of Maye after the Patriots’ Week 9 loss to the Tennessee Titans.
Drake Maye in two charts:
🔵no one is doing more for their offense
🔴no offense does less for its QB pic.twitter.com/OgBIPsx6u5— ZeeBee (@BellinoZee) November 6, 2024
Finally, let’s look at the Pro Football Network QB+ metric grades.
At the time of this writing, Maye’s Week 7 (B-) ranked as the 82nd-best single-game PFN QB+ grade. His Week 6 (C+) ranked 155th, and his Week 9 (C-) ranked 211th.
Maye’s Week 8 start against the New York Jets didn’t qualify, as he was removed from the game in the second quarter after suffering a concussion. For the season, he currently ranks 22nd among all quarterbacks with a C- (48.5).
Williams has two single-game grades higher than anything Maye’s done: a B+ in Week 6 (25th-highest for the season) and a B+ in Week 5 (32nd). Overall, Williams ranks 29th for the season with a D (36.5).
Of course, stats only tell part of the story. There’s also the eye test, which shows Maye and Williams are talented enough to become two of the best quarterbacks of their generation, provided they iron out their flaws and are surrounded by capable coaches and weapons.
The Patriots and Bears will kick off from Soldier Field at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.