Sunday Patriots Notes: Inside the trip that led to drafting Drake Maye

Notes and thoughts on the Patriots and the NFL on May 5.

With the NFL Draft in the rearview mirror, the New England Patriots have the makings of their 90-man roster that is set to enter training camp later this summer.

For anything we did not touch on in the aftermath of the NFL Draft, here is our weekly notebook clean-out. Welcome to our Sunday Patriots Notes.

1. Meeting Maye. When the Patriots came on the clock at No. 3 in the 2024 NFL Draft, Drake Maye’s phone in Detroit immediately ran. It was New England’s college director of scouting Camren Williams telling him he’d be the team’s choice.

While it took the team next to no time to submit their pick, the process to getting there took months (if not years).

“We had time to think through the process,” head coach Jerod Mayo said. “We went through various scenarios with the coaches and scouts, even going back to the collaborative approach that we did this time, and I would say the organization was happy with Drake at 3.”

Perhaps the most important part of that process came late in March, when nine members of the Patriots organization spent nearly 24 hours in North Carolina as Maye was set to hold his Pro Day on March 28. That group included Mayo, director of scouting Eliot Wolf, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, quarterbacks coach T.C. McCartney, senior assistant Ben McAdoo, senior personnel executive Alonzo Highsmith, director of player personnel Matt Groh, senior personnel advisor Patrick Stewart and national scout Matt Evans.

“We started to feel comfortable with him as we spent more time with him and visited with him at North Carolina,” Wolf explained. “Really just getting a chance to know him, see what he’s about, see what his family is about and getting him on the board and seeing his high football intellect.”

During the trip, New England’s coaches held several meetings with Maye. One of those included a package of lowlights put together by Wolf, where Maye’s accountability reinforced Mayo’s feelings about the quarterback from his “fantastic interview” from the NFL Combine in February.

“A lot of teams, they put up all the good plays of players. Eliot and his group, they put a tape together that had a lot of bad plays, and honestly he took a lot of that blame on himself even when sometimes it wasn’t his fault. A very accountable man,” Mayo explained.

That aspect of Maye’s character wasn’t an act. Throughout New England’s research on the individual, one specific example showcased Maye’s personality.

“He was one of the only quarterbacks in this draft that went up there after every loss and handled the media,” Wolf said. He handled it with grace, with class. Watching those press conferences, there were a lot of times where the reporters were trying to get him to throw somebody under the bus, and he wouldn’t do it. He’s a 21-year-old kid, but he’s very mature and understands what it means to be a leader.”

Beyond their multiple meetings with Maye back in Chapel Hill, Mayo also held a private meeting with UNC’s head coach Mack Brown — which played a key part in the decision-making process.

“I would say just getting a chance to spend time with Mack Brown and asking him questions about Drake really helped me get the full picture,” Mayo said. “Look, this guy is very competitive. He would literally miss one question and he’ll be on himself about it, but we like that competitive nature, that striving for perfection, and he showed us that.”

Maye would also get on himself about missing one throw. During his work then on the field, the quarterback airmailed a pass to his right which banged off the wall of the Koman Indoor Practice Facility. Maye then quickly steered away from his Pro Day-script to run the play again, this time hitting his receiver in stride.

Mayo took notice, and it reminded him of what he already saw about the quarterback on film.

“The thing that most impressed me about him, he would get smashed and just get right back up,” Mayo said. “That’s the same trait — you had a guy like Tom Brady — not saying that he’s Tom, but just that mentality. Same thing with Joe Burrow. Those guys just keep getting back up and continuing to play at a high level, and that was like the aha moment for me.”

New England’s brass had one last sit down with Maye after leaving Chapel Hill, as he came to Foxboro for an official 30 visit. After a night out for steaks, the quarterback watched outside zone-run scheme and Aaron Rodgers tape with Van Pelt. Beyond projecting as a strong fit in the offense, New England’s coaching staff felt confident in their abilities to tighten up Maye’s deficiencies to reach his potential.

“At the end of the day, we felt comfortable with those things and really betting on the talent and the kid,” Wolf said. “Drake is a relentless worker from all the indications that we have, and he’s going to be able to overcome some of the things in the areas that he needs to improve.”

By the time the Patriots went on to host the other projected top quarterbacks for visits, Wolf and his staff had a clear picture how the top of the draft would shake out. It was one that handed them Maye at No. 3 overall.

Now, the work transitions to the field for Mayo and his staff to develop what they hope is the future of the franchise — and one their legacies will all be tied too.

“We have a lot of coaches, and we have to develop him,” Mayo said. “I think he has a chance to go out there and really — to really play at a high level. You can talk about potential all you want to. Until you reach it, it really doesn’t matter. We did know the man; we know the man is a hard worker, and he’s going to do everything he can to be successful.”

2. Scouting Maye. After the final round of the NFL Draft concluded, running back Rhamondre Stevenson fired up YouTube to get a first look at his new teammates. That included watching highlights of his new quarterback.

“Big-statured guy — can throw the ball. I’ll make all my other judgments when he gets here,” he reported.

New England’s defenders — who will now be tasked with slowing down Maye throughout the summer — even got in on the action.

“I’m not a GM. I’m not a head coach, but I feel like he has a lot of potential. Great arm. Very athletic,” Joshua Uche said. “I feel like he gives us an opportunity to win, but it’s going to be a competition. There are other quarterbacks on the roster.”

3. Building changes. Much has changed down at One Patriot Place since Jerod Mayo was named the team’s new head coach. That has even included the wall decor around the facility.

The old signs that read “The Patriot Way” and “Do Your Job” have been replaced. Now, signs read “We not me,” “Hard work works,” and “Process, Progress, Payoff,” — which greets players upon arrival and around the building.

“That’s one right when we walk in the door. It’s big for us,” captain Ja’Whaun Bentley said Thursday. “Our biggest thing is not only the slogans, it’s not letting them just be slogans. Everybody has a war cry. Everybody has a slogan they just say every day or write down every day, but do you actually live by it?”

Additionally, Maye shared the team’s locker room now incudes a basketball hoop.

4. Taking action. New England has graded out relatively poor the past two years when it comes to the NFLPA survey. That included a F-minus grade in 2024 for Treatment of Families after earning a C- grade in the same category the season beforehand.

Change appears to be coming as a result, as the team has posted a job position for “Family Services and Football Engagement Coordinator.” The seasonal employment role is aimed in “supporting the family needs of New England Patriots coach, player, and support staff.”

5. Back in town. After a long NFL Draft weekend, Maye returned back home to the Charlotte area this past week. The quarterback is already looking forward to getting back to his new home in Massachusetts, however, where he’ll soon return for Patriots rookie minicamp May 10-12.

“The biggest thing is getting going for rookie minicamp,” Maye said on WEEI. “I think one of the best things about — kind of bring us in before and getting us all together and creating relationships and getting to know each other before we all kind of get mingled in with the whole squad. So, definitely looking forward to meeting those guys.”

Beyond connecting with his new teammates, Maye, a former basketball player, is hoping to embrace his new city in take in a home playoff game for either the Boston Celtics or Bruins.

6. Maye keyed-in. After drafting their potential franchise quarterback in the first-round of the NFL Draft, Eliot Wolf and Co. got to work on putting Maye in the best position to succeed. That included adding a pair of wide receivers — Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker — that complement the quarterback with their catch radius and ball skills.

While New England’s brass didn’t blindly select players the rookie QB advocated for, they did ask for his opinion about available receivers and keyed him in on the picks beforehand.

7. Joshua. Back with the Patriots, Joshua Uche has asked to be referred to by his full name this season as he pays respect to his father. Uche, who mainly got into football by watching game after Church with his father growing up, has spent his offseason working on home renovations projects along with his father, who is an architect engineer.

“Just one of the biggest disciplinarians other than Bill Belichick,” Uche said with smile.

8. Wide Zone. Running back Rhamondre Stevenson confirmed that the Patriots would incorporate more outside zone schemes this year under Alex Van Pelt. It’s a change from New England’s typical gap concepts, which will now result in offensive lineman working laterally to stretch the defense.

“It is a lot of wide zone and more emphasis on actually stretching the ball and having the ball on the outside,” Mike Onwenu said. “Last year, everything was more cutback. It’ll be interesting to see how that plays [out]. It’ll probably allow us to finish our blocks and stay on our blocks without worrying about the guy falling off or worrying about where the running back is going to go.”

9. No picks. With the draft on the rearview mirror, Monday marked the closing of the compensatory draft pick window for unrestricted free agents. For the second straight season, New England did not qualify for any additional picks.

As the window is now closed, veterans who agree to deals with teams no longer count towards the compensatory pick calculations.

10. Setting up the week ahead. The Patriots will be back in the building for Week 5 of their offseason program, which is the final stage before organized team practice activity, or “OTAs”, begin. Additionally, New England’s rookies will return to the facility for the aforementioned rookie minicamp from May 10-12.