No NFL team is going to rock the standings without a good quarterback. If you have one and fill in the supporting positions, you'll have a chance to, as soon-to-be-Patriots' Hall of Famer, Bill Parcells used to say, "Make the Tournament", aka the playoffs. If you don't, not so much.
Fortunately, the New England Patriots made a correct decision in the 2024 draft by selecting Drake Maye with the third overall pick. When finally inserted as the starter, Maye had a terrific freshman season, only held back by a terrible supporting cast. This bodes well for 2025.
Recently, Nick Shook of NFL.com rated the top fifteen quarterbacks in the NFL playing on rookie contracts. Drake Maye is one of them. Let's look at their rankings and see if Maye is ranked appropriately or is slotted in too low. (Too high is unlikely!)
Top young quarterbacks ranking has Drake Maye exactly where he should be
Four of the top 15 quarterbacks playing on rookie deals were ranked ahead of Drake Maye
In Shook's rankings, four young quarterbacks were ranked ahead of the Patriots' Drake Maye. Let's see who they were in descending order. The top young quarterback was no surprise; it's Washington's phenom, Jayden Daniels.
He took the Commanders to the NFC Championship game in his rookie season, but lost. Not much more needs to be said. He's a fantastic dual-threat quarterback and would have been the choice in the 2024 draft if he'd fallen to the Patriots. There's no one better on this list.
Second on the list is Houston's C.J. Stroud. Like Daniels, he was the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year (in 2023). He led the Texans to the playoffs before losing in the Divisional round. He slipped a bit in 2024 but is still a top young QB.
Third on the list is former "Mr. Irrelevant", Brock Purdy of the 49ers. Purdy's rise from the last pick in the draft to the Niners' starting quarterback is the stuff of fantasy. He led the Niners to the playoffs in his first full year as a starter in 2023.
Fourth on the list is Carolina's Bryce Young. He had a tough 2023 rookie season and was written off by many. Yet, his poise and pocket-presence couldn't be denied. He bounced back with a solid 2024. Ranked at number five is Drake Maye.
Drake Maye's ranking and where he should have been ranked
Shook rated the Patriots' second-year man, Drake Maye, their fifth-best quarterback on a rookie deal. That's not a slight to the young Patriots' star. The four ranked ahead are all legitimate top young NFL quarterbacks. Yet, Maye should be ranked higher. Here's why.
Despite the ghastly situation around him, Maye had a terrific rookie season in 2024. Though he was the team's best option at QB if they sought to win, he received virtually no first-team reps in preseason and almost none until game four or so of the regular season. That short-sighted decision cost him valuable developmental time and consigned the team to the cellar of the AFC East.
Whoever made that decision got it wrong. If it was the coaching staff, it helped cost them their jobs. If not, whoever else made the call exhibited flawed decision-making. Combined with an abysmal offseason in general, grading about an F except for Maye, it presented an image of tanking the 2024 season altogether before it even began.
Now, with Vrabel in charge, Maye will have a restructured, NFL-ready offensive line where none existed in 2024. He'll have far better receivers than the lackluster 2024 group. Additionally, Vrabel added two dynamic and explosive rookie home-run hitters to his offensive skill positions in running back TreVeyon Henderson and wide receiver Kyle Williams.
Maye completed 66 percent of his passes with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2024 despite his dismal supporting cast. That's why the call here on the list would have been Maye tied with Stroud as the second-best quarterback on rookie deals, ahead of Purdy and Young.
Expect Maye to have a breakout 2025 season with all the changes mentioned. He'll rock with a much better offensive line, superior receivers, and explosive playmakers where there were none in 2024. The entire offense will improve dramatically, including the experienced Maye, now entering his second season.
With that offense, a dynamic new defense, and Mike Vrabel and his experienced coaching staff, expect Maye to lead the Patriots to an almost unthinkable playoff berth in his second season - and maybe more. Maye is nearly as good as it gets on NFL.com's list. Since it's a long race, he may be the best before too long.