It's difficult to put too much stock into power rankings, especially four months before the start of the regular season and with rookies having not played an NFL game.
But when it comes to Patriots' quarterback Drake Maye's post-draft ranking among NFL quarterbacks, his 19th-place position, according to CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin, appears to be a little too low.
In assessing where the second-year Patriots' signal caller landed, Benjamin said, "The most impressive thing about his rookie season was the way he refused to let New England's porous O-line ruin his composure. Now the kid's got a fresh staff and veteran weapons."
Thanks to that new corps of free-agency and NFL draft additions, you could certainly make a case for Maye being higher on that list. Geno Smith, Baker Mayfield, and Dak Prescott are head-scratchers, given Prescott's lack of clutchness and Smith and Mayfield only looking competent thanks to what surrounded them in Seattle and Tampa Bay.
Even Trevor Lawrence and Caleb Williams (why?) are listed ahead of Maye, with Jayden Daniels claiming the top spot.
So, where does that leave Drake Maye in 2025?
You can't argue with Benjamin's top five of Daniels, Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. But with the combination of Maye's talent and the roster he now has assembled around him, I'd put him somewhere in the 10th to 13th range.
Despite New England's offensive line and wide receiving woes, Maye showed flashes as a rookie. Think of a Mustang leading an offense that resembles a Corolla. That's what it was like in Foxboro in 2024.
Maye now has the help he needs thanks to the offseason put together by Eliot Wolf and Mike Vrabel. It starts with a legit offensive coordinator in Josh McDaniels. It continues with a prime No. 1 wide receiver in Stefon Diggs. The positions of left tackle and running back were addressed with the drafting of Will Campbell and TreVeyon Henderson.
How high can Drake Maye climb with the Patriots this season?
Other players ranked ahead of Maye included Brock Purdy, C.J. Stroud, Justin Herbert, and Bo Nix. When it's all said and done, Maye will climb ahead of those guys and certainly over the likes of Lawrence and Williams this season. And possibly Mayfield, Prescott, and Smith.
Again, power rankings are what they are. But let's look at a few of those other situations compared to New England, even though the Patriots have nowhere to go but up. The 49ers (Purdy) and Cowboys (Prescott) are two of the NFL's biggest soap operas. Who will Stroud throw to in Houston with Diggs now in New England, and Tank Dell is not expected to play again until 2026? Lawrence and the Jaguars are starting over, and Mayfield and the Buccaneers play in arguably the worst division in the league.
Maye has to earn his way up this list, there's no question about it. But thanks to the combination of his own talent, the guys around him, and the coaches around him in New England, don't be surprised to see it happen and to see Maye's Patriots in the playoffs over some of these other signal callers.