The Patriots hit pay dirt in the 2024 NFL draft when Drake Maye was available with the third pick overall. While Jaden Daniels would have been a superb pick, the Patriots did just fine in getting the terrific young quarterback from North Carolina.
Maye rang the bell so loud that Mike Vrabel, the best coach available this offseason, didn't hesitate to accept the offer from owner Robert Kraft to take the helm of the once-feared, now humbled franchise. The astute Vrabel knew that if you have a top quarterback in tow, the rest of the job would be easy for someone of his personnel evaluation capabilities. And he realized he had one in Maye.
Since then, Vrabel has proceeded to assemble a solid supporting cast for his now "veteran" second-year quarterback who won't turn 23 until August. It's an excellent situation for Vrabel, the team, and Patriot Nation, but not all observers are so enamored.
Pro Football Network (PFN) ranks Maye as a middling second-year QB
Pro Football Network has ranked the six most prominent second-year NFL quarterbacks. There's no question that Maye should be ranked right behind the Commanders' Jayden Daniels. Instead, PFN has placed him fourth behind Daniels, Bo Nix of Denver, and Caleb Williams of Chicago.
"Maye finished inside the top 20 in PFSN’s QB+ metric, and his advanced numbers were impressive, considering the Patriots’ offensive line ranked last in our OL+ metric. Maye ranked 22nd in EPA per dropback (0.01), 21st from a clean pocket (0.2 EPA/DB), and 18th when pressured (-0.30 EPA/DB).
His numbers on third downs (34.3%; 27th) and in net yards per pass attempt (6.1; 31st) leave much to be desired, but they can be excused given the situation.
New England’s offense was among the league’s worst, with a poor receiving corps, a struggling offensive line, and a lackluster running game. This environment made it difficult for Maye to consistently showcase his big arm and playmaking ability."
Talk about "damning with faint praise". PFN missed the boat on their rankings and neglected their own analysis in doing so. Maye is currently the best of the bunch after Daniels, and when the Vrabel-led roster reconstruction is complete, he'll be right there with Daniels and no one else.
Maye did more with less than any rookie last year
It's not that the other QBs noted aren't good, it's that Maye's potential is off-the-charts. His potential is as good as Daniels', and who knows, it may even be higher. He has everything necessary to take the top off the NFL with his arm and other abilities. That's exactly what he'll do starting this season.
Maye had less to work with than anyone else on the entire list. His offensive line was "offensive". It stunk and allowed 52 sacks. In addition, he had one wideout who caught 66 passes, and no one else did much of anything. It was the worst aggregation in the league. Those are two offensive strikes that get you called out anytime.
Notably, his 2024 front office and/or coaching staff (who knows who) also dramatically mismanaged the rookie. They didn't provide their third-overall draft pick any first-team snaps in pre-season, and only did so about week four or so of the regular season, when the wheels had essentially already fallen off 2024.
Maye responded with a brilliant exhibition of getting his job done with little help, while running for his football life on most plays. He completed an impressive 66 percent of his passes for 2276 yards and 15 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. He added 421 yards on the ground (mostly under duress) and two more scores. Even with all their deficiencies, the 2024 Patriots lost six games by only one score.
Vrabel's roster reconstruction and Maye's leadership and skills will be difference-makers in 2025. There'll be no sophomore slump. Maye will rock the NFL world with a real offense on hand, with an NFL-level offensive line and a solid receiving corps.
Meanwhile, Vrabel's rebuilt defense will keep the opposition at bay. All this will lead to a record of 10-7 or 11-6, a playoff berth for the Patriots, and a second Pro Bowl for Maye. PFN got it wrong. Drake Maye will prove to be as good as any of the quarterbacks drafted in 2023 when all is said and done, and he'll rack up sick statistics in 2025. And, you can take that to the bank.