The draft community likes New England’s first-round pick.
For the younger readers of Pats Pulpit dot com, welcome — to the first NFL Draft in your lifetime where the draft really starts with the New England Patriots.
For the readers my age and older of Pats Pulpit dot com, welcome back — to the first draft in around 30 years that starts with the New England Patriots, since the 1993 draft figuratively and literally started with the New England Patriots.
In the case of the former, we’re referring, of course, to the 2024 draft, where no matter who was fortunate/unfortunate enough to be picking first, USC QB Caleb Williams was written in Sharpie as the guy since about Halloween 2022. With Washington seemingly locked in for weeks before the draft as also taking a quarterback, and enough smoke around Jayden Daniels that it’d be an all-time bait-and-switch if they didn’t take Daniels, the Patriots were the first real wild card on the table.
They could draft any QB that was still on the board at Pick 3. They could have their pick of literally any receiver, offensive tackle, or defensive player (even if it’d make the fanbase apoplectic).
They could’ve swung a trade with the Minnesota Vikings or anyone else desperate enough for a QB and justified it with the truism that multiple first-round picks is just the cost of doing that kind of business.
Or the Patriots could’ve gone full Bill Belichick and reverse-red-paper-clipped the first round altogether, trading down again and again and eventually making a pick or two while racking up those sweet, sweet Day 2 picks that Bill loved using on his go-big-or-go-home dart throws. Sometimes you find a Gronk, sometimes you end up with Shawn Crable. It happens.
As it worked out, the Patriots were gifted the drama-free route, and they took it. The first two picks of the draft went down exactly as expected, and when North Carolina QB Drake Maye was just there for the taking at No. 3, no trades or shenanigans required, New England’s leadership took the no-s–t-Sherlock route and sent in the pick.
So it begins. Ignore all the Buzz Killingtons who say the Patriots’ roster is far too terrible to take a quarterback and they should have spent at least 17 seasons building the infrastructure before finally adding the QB as the cherry on top. The Patriots (correctly) determined that Mac Jones was not who we thought we were drafting back in 2021, and now they get another high-stakes crack at getting the most crucial position in American sports right. With any luck, it’ll be the last one they need for the next decade and a half or so.
How about the professional draft watchers, though? What do they think about the Patriots’ highest pick since two generations of our fanbase was born and/or named some variation of “Brady”?
(Spoiler alert, it turns out that many analysts thinking using the third overall pick, which hopefully you’ll never get by virtue of being that bad again, on the most vital position in American sports on a prospect with more tools than your dad’s basement, is good)
Let’s get to it!
National media
Getting my QB1A at the third overall pick is fantastic for the Patriots. Maye is a strong-armed, aggressive passer and a growing processor at the QB spot. He’s more ready to start right away than people think, and even if he isn’t ready to start by the Pats standards, they have the infrastructure to aid a young QB immediately. Absolutely love this pick.
A new era starts in New England, as the Patriots nab their new franchise cornerstone in quarterback Drake Maye. Maye is my second-ranked quarterback in this class, behind only Caleb Williams, and brings prototypical size, a big arm, and excellent out-of-structure creativity to the position. He raises the floor and ceiling for the Pats offense as soon as he gets onto the field. I’m a little worried about the supporting cast in New England, which lacks difference-making playmakers at receiver and needs more talent on the offensive line, but in the longer term I’m bullish that Maye can develop into a top-level starter in the mold of Justin Herbert.
Charles McDonaldd (Yahoo Sports): A
The Patriots got a dynamite prospect in Maye. He did a ton of heavy lifting for the Tar Heels last season and he has legitimate superstar upside. He’s just 21 years old and has already shown flashes of elite downfield, tight-window accuracy to go along with fantastic running ability for a bigger quarterback. Home run pick for the Patriots as they officially start a new era for the franchise.
Scott Dochterman (The Athletic): A
When one looks at Maye (6-4, 223), they can see a carbon copy of the prototypical quarterback. There’s no question he has every tangible quality NFL personnel seek at the position, and his intangible gifts are obvious, as well. But his career trajectory will tilt upward if he can slow down a bit and make all of the plays. That’s going to require patience from the Patriots’ front office, coaches and players — and from Maye himself.
Considering his potential, Maye may have the most upside of any quarterback in the draft. That’s worth betting on.
Brent Sobleski (Bleacher Report): A
If an NFL team were to build the ideal starting quarterback, the result would probably come out looking like North Carolina’s Drake Maye. The 6’4”, 223-pound signal-caller has ample arm talent and significant athleticism despite his big frame.
Maye is exceptional when it comes to pre-snap processing. Unfortunately, he found himself in a UNC offense this past season with inadequate offensive line and skill-position players. As such, Maye needed to take certain risky decisions and make plays with his legs more often than expected.
“There’s a longstanding history of basketball in his family and it’s really what plays into him being as athletic as he is,” former North Carolina offensive coordinator Phil Longo told ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “You look at him, and he’s a tall, lanky quarterback. I don’t think just looking at him that you would initially think he’s as athletic as he is.”
As The Athletic’s Dane Brugler noted, Maye converted more first downs (42) running the ball on third or fourth down over the last two seasons than any other quarterback in this year’s class. The 2022 ACC Player of the Year also completed more big-time throws (76) than any other prospect during the same span, per Pro Football Focus. He has the size, arm, intelligence and mobility to develop into an elite NFL quarterback.
The New England Patriots will be living under Tom Brady’s shadow for a long time. The only way to get out from the darkness is to add a bright light to the roster.
Maye entered this year’s draft as the Bleacher Report Scouting Department’s QB1 over both Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels. His mechanics are raw, but his upside is as great as anyone in the class, which makes him a perfect fit for the Patriots. Jacoby Brissett can be the perfect short-term bridge quarterback for the Pats. The sturdy, big-armed Maye can learn behind Brissett and then thrive once he takes over.
Shortly after being hired, new head coach Jerod Mayo said the Patriots were going to take a quarterback. He was true to his word.
Cam Mellor (Pro Football Network): A
For Patriots fans concerned by media opinions over Drake Maye’s capability and potential in the NFL, consider that not only was the North Carolina passer the top quarterback prospect on the PFN Big Board, but he was the No. 1 player overall.
Maye brings prototypical NFL size at 6’4”, 223 pounds, boasts the arm talent to make throws at all field levels, and is as mentally astute as he is technically impressive.
His underrated athleticism should help provide positive early returns in his NFL career. Securing the top player in the class, at a position of need, without having to cede draft capital, has all the ingredients for a high grade.
Pro Football Focus: Very Good
New England doesn’t have the ideal supporting cast on offense, but it would be difficult for the Patriots to pass on a quarterback prospect of Maye’s caliber here. The North Carolina product earned an elite PFF grade as a true sophomore in 2022 before following that up with another 90.0-plus grade in 2023. He has high-end arm talent and showed that he is comfortable making NFL throws over the middle of the field.
Chad Reuter (NFL.com): A-
Maye possesses the physical characteristics to be an outstanding NFL quarterback. He stretches the field vertically, creates room for himself to throw within the pocket, runs with toughness and can place the ball to the sideline and between defenders when in form. But his consistency is an issue. He must make sure his mind, feet and arm are working in tandem on every throw. The Patriots will need to add more talent around him to ensure his success.
Doug Farrar (Touchdown Wire): B+
The Mac Jones experiment the Patriots fell into in the Tom Brady Replacement Program didn’t work out, but Drake Maye walks into the building in Foxboro with more to offer than Jones ever did. Maye is incredibly dynamic as a thrower and as a runner, and if he can clean up a few mechanical things, he’ll give the Pats far more of a chance than they’ve had since Brady walked out the door.
He might need some time on the bench, but he has the talent to develop into a good starting quarterback in this league. He just needs to fine tune a few mechanical things. The Patriots had to get a quarterback.
Local media
Jordy McElroy (Patriots Wire): A+
The New England Patriots resisted the urge to trade down and instead chose the quarterback they hope can one day help bring them back to relevance.
North Carolina’s Drake Maye was the pick for the Patriots at No. 3 overall in the 2024 NFL draft on Thursday. It wasn’t necessarily a surprising pick, but there was enough pre-draft buzz to make some question what the team would ultimately do when they were on the clock.
Were they going to get the quarterback and rebuild the roster with the biggest need finally addressed, or would they trade back for more picks to fill out their struggling offense?
The Patriots made the right decision by going with the first option and getting one of the top-three quarterbacks on the draft board.
Maye comes to New England with an exceptionally high ceiling. In fact, his ceiling might be higher than the top-two quarterbacks, Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels, in the draft. He can make all of the throws on the field, and he’s already an elite deep ball thrower.
The former Tar Heel is also tenacious and always looking for ways to improve, which will come in handy as he works to make the transition to the next level. He clearly has some things to work on including his patience in the pocket and footwork.
But those are both teachable things for a player that really only played two seasons of football in college. In 2022, he looked like one of the best quarterbacks in the country in his first season as a starter with 342 completions for 4,321 yards, 38 touchdowns and only seven interceptions.
With two less games, he finished the 2023 season with 269 completions for 3,608 yards, 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
The Patriots made the right decision going with the quarterback because the opportunity to do so is rare. There were no guarantees they’d be in a position to draft a prospect like Maye ever again. Finding the right quarterback is a never-ending rat race for most teams.
There will always be opportunities to go after offensive linemen and skilled position players. The Patriots also already have a true veteran in Jacoby Brissett on the roster to serve as a bridge option for Maye. So there will be no rush to make him the starter right out of the gates.
Honestly, there should be no rush to start him next season, period. The Patriots aren’t competing for a championship, and they should take their time developing their quarterback.
Patrick Mahomes didn’t start his first season in the NFL, and even Jordan Love sat behind Aaron Rodgers before he was finally handed the reins of the Green Bay Packers’ offense. Maye has top-10 quarterback talent if the right mechanisms are in place to bring it out of him.
This is far from a Mac Jones situation as long as the Patriots avoid turning it into one.
Phil Perry (NBC Sports Boston): A
When it was suggested to one member of the Patriots organization that the Patriots may trade back to find a quarterback in the first round of the 2024 draft, I was told, ‘Too cute.’ The Patriots did the logical thing, the right thing, on Thursday night by staying at number three overall and selecting North Carolina’s Drake Maye,” Perry said.
He is aggressive, unafraid to push the ball down the field and has the creative playmaking ability that some of the best quarterbacks in the NFL have today. Of course, he has some mechanical issues that will need some cleaning up, but he’s thought to be highly competitive which should lead to relatively quick improvement for someone who is as athletic as Drake Maye is.
Bottom line, Drake Maye has the traits and the makeup to potentially be one of the top five quarterbacks in the league. That’s why when grading this pick, I give it an A.
Mike Reiss (ESPN): N/A
My take: They didn’t overthink it. In need of a potential franchise quarterback, and open to trading the pick if a big-time offer came their way, the Patriots landed a player who gives the organization the same type of hope that Drew Bledsoe did after being selected No. 1 overall in 1993. Now comes the important part of developing Maye with quality coaching, and ensuring he doesn’t have too many voices in his ear.
Will he start as a rookie?: Not necessarily right away. The Patriots signed veteran Jacoby Brissett to a one-year deal in the offseason to provide leadership, mentorship, and a “bridge” option so any rookie wouldn’t be rushed onto the field.
Key stat: In 2022, Maye set North Carolina records for completions (342) and passing yards (4,321) in a single season. At 6-foot-4 and 223 pounds, he is more than just a pocket passer; he totaled 302 carries for 1,209 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns.
What’s next: The Patriots own the second pick of the second round (No. 34), and they have spoken internally about the possibility of using that chip to move back into the first round if one of their targets falls within range.
Andrew Callahan (Boston Herald): N/A
This is what the Patriots have been building to all offseason. Laying foundational pieces of their new future. Hoisting tentpoles for their rebuilding program.
New head coach? Check. New personnel head? Check. New quarterback with all the natural talent the old regime didn’t believe was necessary when it picked Mac Jones three years ago?
Massive check.
And the requisite toughness and security, too. Drake Maye is here because of who he is, and who he’s not relative to Mac Jones.
Taylor Kyles (CLNS Patriots): N/A
New England was fairly transparent about its plan to take a 1st-round quarterback before the draft, which began with trading fallen 1st-rounder Mac Jones and signing beloved journeyman Jacoby Brissett.
Other 1st-round options, J.J. McCarthy and Michael Penix Jr., are known for their outstanding character and toughness. Both also hail from last season’s best college teams. But neither offers the same upside as Maye, whom Mayo spoke highly of at the NFL’s annual meeting.
If Van Pelt and quarterbacks coach T.C. McCartney’s West Coast teachings can provide the consistency Maye needs to reach his potential, New England could have a legitimate All-Pro candidate on their hands in the near future.
Pats fans are going to want to make sure they’re comfy on the couch or at the pub right when the draft starts back up at 7 p.m. Eastern Time — the Patriots are back on the clock with the second pick of the second round.
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