Patriots draft profile: Drake Maye has all the tools to be a franchise quarterback

Maye would be a home run option at No. 3 overall.

The New England Patriots are currently set to pick No. 3 in the 2024 NFL Draft, largely due to the poor quarterback play they received last season.

As New England now may look for their next potential franchise quarterback with that selection, one prospect among them stands out: North Carolina’s Drake Maye. After a successful two-year stint as the Tar Heels starter, the 21-year old gunslinger has all the tools teams look for in a quarterback prospect.

Let’s therefore take a closer look at Maye to find out what he would bring to the table.

Hard facts

Name: Drake Maye

Position: Quarterback

School: University of North Carolina

Opening day age: 22 (8/30/2002)

Measurements: 6’4 3/8”, 223 lbs, 76 1/8” wingspan, 32 1/4” arm length, 9 1/8” hand size, N/A Relative Athletic Score

Experience

Career statistics: 30 games (26 starts) | 1,998 offensive snaps | 618-of-952 (64.9%), 8,018 passing yards, 63 passing TDs, 16 interceptions | 302 rushing attempts, 1,209 rushing yards, 16 rushing TDs

Accolades: ACC Player of the Year (2022), ACC Offensive Player of the Year (2022), First-Team All-ACC (2022), ACC Rookie of the Year (2022), ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year (2022), FWAA Freshman of the Year (2022), Second-Team All-ACC (2023)

A four-star quarterback prospect in North Carolina, Maye originally committed to the University of Alabama before flipping to the University of North Carolina. Arriving on campus in 2021, Maye redshirted after he appeared in just four games behind starting quarterback Sam Howell.

Winning the starting job in 2022, Maye burst onto the scene throwing five touchdown passes in his first career start. It set the stage for Maye receiving numerous accolades in the ACC en route to breaking UNC’s single season passing yards record (4,321) and tying the single season passing touchdowns record (38).

Entering year two as the starter, Maye’s offensive coordinator, Phil Longo, departed the program as a new offense was installed. Maye did not put up his record shattering numbers, but still finished the season by tossing over 3,600 yards and 24 touchdowns. He was named to the All-ACC second team for his season’s performance before declaring for the NFL Draft.

Draft profile

Expected round: 1 (Top 5) | Consensus big board: No. 2 | Patriots meeting: Scouting Combine

Strengths: Maye has all the makings of the successful quarterback’s in today’s NFL — from his size (6-4, 230) to his physical ability that allows him to win inside and out of the pocket.

His work as a passer is highlighted by his arm strength and fearless mindset. Maye loves to push the ball and attack opposing defenses and while it can get him in trouble at times, the positive plays severely outweigh the negatives (80 big time throws to just 26 turnover worthy plays over the past two seasons, per PFF).

Beyond his love for hunting big plays down the field, Maye is also strong throwing over the middle of the field with anticipation — something that will surely appeal to offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt.

Maye is at his best as an in-rhythm passer in the pocket, but he brings plenty of ability outside of structure. He is tough to bring down for the opposition and constantly keeps his eyes downfield looking to strike. Maye often gets rid of the ball while in the defender’s grasp — like his highlight reel left-handed touchdown pass against Pittsburgh last season (where Patriots scouts were in attendance).

He also does a strong job of understanding where pressure is coming from and drifting away from it inside the pocket — all while staying calm and collected to make the necessary play.

Beyond his work as a passer, Maye’s game is rounded out by his athletic ability. While he prefers to attack through the air, he is a smooth athlete for his size which allows him to create and extend plays with speed and ability to break arm tackles. Last season, Maye’s first-down scramble rate ranked second among 35 FBS QBs with 30 or more scrambles.

Weaknesses: While Maye can make every throw on the field, he battled with accuracy issues at times last season. That was largely due to inconsistencies with his footwork which caused the missed throws to occasionally pile up. However, with a coach like Van Pelt, who puts a lot of emphasis on that aspect of the game, that’s something that can be cleaned up at the next level.

And while you don’t want him to completely ditch his aggressive mindset, Maye will need to learn how to take a profit more often at the next level.

Patriots preview

What would be his role? With Maye’s skillset he would enter Foxboro as the best quarterback on the roster. While many believe he needs to sit to begin his career — and New England’s staff may ultimately think it’s best for his development to start veteran Jacoby Brissett — the belief here is Maye should be ready to start Week 1 with a consistent performance throughout the offseason.

What is his growth potential? As a 21-year old, Maye still has room to grow as a player — which is part of the reason he is such an exciting prospect based off the level of play he already has shown. The path for him to becoming a true franchise quarterback is certainly on the table. As Jerod Mayo said of Maye: “there is really no ceiling with a guy like that.”

Does he have positional versatility? The quarterback position is pretty clear cut, but how about some punting ability as well? Maye has two career punts throughout his collegiate career, including this i-20 pooch punt from last season:

Why the Patriots? Quarterbacks dominate today’s NFL game and the position is the biggest hole on New England’s roster. Finding their next franchise signal caller is the biggest task Eliot Wolf and Jerod Mayo must do and selecting Maye would give them a prospect with all the physical tools and intangibles they are looking for off the field.

Why not the Patriots? The Washington Commanders. While the Bears seem set to select Caleb Williams No. 1 overall, Washington will have a decision to make at No. 2. As they are in search of a quarterback as well, the choice will likely come down to Maye or Jayden Daniels. Maye would be the easy choice here, but the consensus seems to be split between the two.

One-sentence verdict: Maye checks every box of a potential franchise quarterback prospect that teams will win because of at the next level, making him an easy choice for the Patriots if he slips to No. 3.

What do you think about Drake Maye as a potential Patriots target? Too good to pass up? Or just not worth it given the issues elsewhere? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.