Could Maye land in New York?
Drake Maye, expected to be one of the first three quarterbacks, selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, is a “big fan” of former New York Giants star Eli Manning and has been trying to learn everything he can from Manning.
“I think Eli would probably say he’s probably seen me too much, I’ve been following him around,” Maye said on Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “I think the biggest thing is being a sponge, soaking it all in. I don’t have all the answers, and I don’t know it all just being up there with Eli, and like I said, David Morris, I’ve trained with him down there in Alabama [at QB Country]; he [Morris] was his [Manning’s] backup at Ole Miss. So, just kind of the small world of connections and I’m just trying to soak it all up.”
The best advice he has gotten from Manning?
“Just be myself. Don’t be somebody I’m not, and at the end of the day, don’t give the NFL too much spotlight or credit,” he said.
Some think that Maye is the most likely of the top three quarterbacks, including Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels, to fall far enough for the Giants to have the option of selecting him at No. 6.
Maye, of course, has met with the Giants.
“It was good in there. Meeting with Coach Daboll, big fan of him, offensive mind, one of the best,” Maye said. “So, it’s just getting in there, getting to know those guys, Mr. Schoen. So, it was good in there.”
The Giants, of course, still have Daniel Jones, who is expected to be the starter in 2024. How would Maye feel about sitting and learning, at least at the beginning of the year?
“I think it’s something that would be an advantage. There’s always two sides to it. I think it’s going to be a huge help,” Maye said. “You see guys where it works out — Jordan Love — and you see instances where going in like C.J. (Stroud) right away can be successful. So, whatever they think, I’m ready for both ways, ready to go in there and compete to be the starter — obviously gonna have that mindset either way — but at the same time, I know these guys, they get paid a lot of money to make these decisions.”
Maye said he knows some people look at North Carolina’s 17-10 record the past two seasons and think it wasn’t good enough.
“I think the biggest measurement for a quarterback is wins and losses, and I think there are some games at the end of the games where I could have gone down there, made a few more plays to help us impact the win column,” Maye said of his time with the Tar Heels. “But at the same time, I wouldn’t re-do anything. I put it all out there and left it all out there.”
Could Maye be yet another Manning-Morris protege to find his way to the Giants?
You must be logged in to post a comment Login