Two years ago, Drake Maye was the third quarterback selected in a stacked draft class.
Last year, he finished second in NFL MVP voting behind future Hall of Famer Matthew Stafford.
And with the 2026 season merely eight weeks away, Maye can officially say he's no longer overlooked or undervalued. In fact, his rapid rise from unproven rookie to bona fide star has helped him earn an honor that only ramps up the pressure on a pair of his peers.
Latest ranking shows major respect for Drake Maye
One of the more interesting exercises is to take stock of the young talent around the league. Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports did just that by ranking the top 25 players ages 25 and under for the 2026 season.
Despite being the third player taken at his position in the 2024 NFL Draft, Maye earned the No. 4 overall spot, making him the highest-ranked quarterback of his class. Only Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, and Detroit Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell finished ahead of Maye. Here was Sullivan's rationale:
A key reason the Patriots found themselves on a Super Bowl run last season was Drake Maye blossoming into an MVP-caliber quarterback.
The second-year signal-caller finished second to Matthew Stafford in the 2025 MVP race. Maye led New England to a 14-3 record and became the youngest quarterback in NFL history to lead the league in completion percentage and yards per attempt in the same season. His playoff performance was muted by deficiencies along the offensive line, culminating in a dud in Super Bowl LX.
That said, Maye enters 2026 as one of, if not the best, young quarterbacks in the league. He was arguably the NFL's best deep-ball passer in 2025 and will now have A.J. Brown at his disposal, so he should only continue to ascend in Year 3.
In a league teeming with young talent on both sides of the ball, the fact Maye finished fourth shows just how much good coaching and a solid supporting cast matter. After all, he had neither during his rocky rookie season, and nobody would have penciled Maye anywhere near the top 10 a year ago.
Of course, the arrival of Mike Vrabel (and Josh McDaniels) ushered in a new way of doing things in Foxboro, and the front office did a solid job surrounding the franchise's most important player with better weapons and protection.
With A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs now in the fold, Maye has a legitimate shot to surpass last year's gaudy numbers. By all accounts, he's taken another leap this offseason. And if that takes place, what's stopping the Patriots' most pivotal player from earning the No. 1 spot next year? (Let's not forget that Maye only turns 24 in August).
What does this mean for Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels?
In all fairness, the two signal-callers selected ahead of Maye didn't fall far behind him in CBS Sports' rankings. Ironically, just as they did during the 2024 NFL Draft, Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels went back-to-back, earning the No. 7 and 8 spots, respectively.
Here's part of Sullivan's write-up on the Chicago Bears QB:
"Williams finally looked like the generational quarterback he was billed as entering the league in 2024 and delivered several clutch moments throughout the 2025 campaign. Entering Year 2 in Ben Johnson's system, it'll be fascinating to see how high Williams can climb among the NFL's quarterbacks."
Williams certainly had some impressive moments during his own breakout campaign, including some playoff heroics that reminded everyone why he was the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. By the same token, the erratic playmaker turned the ball over too often, took too many sacks, and took some unnecessary risks that ultimately left the Bears on the outside looking in for a championship.
As much as Ben Johnson helped unlock some of Williams' brilliance, the second-year head coach still has work to do to mold the team's most important asset into a more consistent performer. Plus, Williams has to continue to grow and mature as a leader — something Maye has clearly done in New England over the last year-plus.
Meanwhile, Jayden Daniels had almost the opposite experience from his two peers. Coming off an excellent rookie season, his sophomore campaign got sidetracked by injuries. Here's what CBS wrote about the Commanders QB:
Jayden Daniels was hobbled by injuries last season, and his numbers suffered because of it. He missed 10 games with multiple injuries, and the Commanders went just 2-5 in the seven games he started in 2025.
Still, we're giving him the benefit of the doubt with this high ranking. Daniels' rookie season, when he led Washington to the NFC Championship and a 12-5 record, was awe-inspiring. That year, he accounted for 31 total touchdowns and just nine turnovers to go with a 100.1 passer rating. That quarterback is still there in Washington; he just needs to stay healthy.
Now that he's back to full strength and armed with a better supporting cast, including a revamped defense, it wouldn't be surprising to see something closer to the 2024 version of Daniels in 2026.
Unlike Maye or Williams, Daniels is responsible for leading a team that doesn't exactly look like a playoff lock. Between his durability concerns and Dan Quinn replacing Kliff Kingsbury with David Blough, you have far less certainty in Washington than you do in New England or Chicago.
Ultimately, these rankings rightly reflect that Maye has earned the nod over his two peers. However, the fact they're all within such a close range shows the sheer amount of talent that entered the league two years ago.
The only number that truly matters, though, is how many Super Bowl rings they win.
Fortunately for Maye, he at least knows what it's like to get to the big game.
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