The New England Patriots struck paydirt in the 2024 NFL draft when Drake Maye fell into their lap at pick No. 3 after two other quarterbacks were chosen ahead of him.
Since then, the quarterback has been everything hoped for and more. In his rookie season with a dreadful offensive line and supporting cast, he still excelled. He completed 66% of his passes with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. In 2025, he upped his game, completing a monstrous 72% of his passes while throwing for 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns, and only 8 interceptions.
He gained second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl awards in each of his first two seasons. In 2025, he earned but didn't get voted the NFL's MVP award. He deserved it nonetheless. It will just provide him with more motivation in 2026.
Now, Pro Football Focus has predicted he'll rank third in the NFL in 2026 in passing yards. They may be underestimating his potential.
Drake Maye is only limited by his offensive line and receiving corps
The second-year quarterback Maye achieved those fabulous 2025 statistics despite a porous offensive line. They allowed 47 regular-season sacks and 21 more in the postseason, including six that helped lose the Super Bowl.
Besides sacks, Maye was harassed on most other plays and ultimately suffered a shoulder injury that helped finish the Patriots in the final against Seattle.
The team addressed the offensive line to some extent in the 2026 offseason. They added a top guard when he plays in Alijah Vera-Tucker. Unfortunately, he's injury-prone. He missed the entire 2025 season due to injury. He's still not cleared for full duty.
On the plus side, the team did use its second first-round pick in a row on an offensive left tackle. Utah's Caleb Lomu was drafted to back up both tackles and maybe the guards, as well. He was a terrific addition and is expected to be on the field a lot in 2026.
Still, not enough was done to protect the team's franchise quarterback, and that will probably come back to haunt the team.
Despite this, Pro Football Focus, the best analysts in the business, still projects Maye to be the third-best NFL quarterback in passing yards in 2026 behind only Joe Burrow and Matthew Stafford. That's testimony not only to the young passer's arm but also to his ability to evade the pass rush when his protection breaks down and still make things happen.
PFF's projected passing yards leaders 🎯 pic.twitter.com/PjCfGlhAB1
— PFF (@PFF) May 22, 2026
Maye is likely to justify PFF's prediction and more. He was the de facto MVP in 2025, even with his porous offensive line. If somehow a healthy Vera-Tucker and Lomu can help provide some clean pockets, the sky is the limit for Maye in 2026 and beyond.
This potential will be augmented if the Patriots finalize a trade with the Eagles for No. 1 receiver A.J. Brown. His arrival, coupled with an improved offensive line, will propel Maye to the MVP, and maybe even the team's seventh Lombardi trophy.
The only impediment will be the team's inability to protect him in the pocket. It's yet to be seen if they've done enough to make that happen this offseason. If they have, the sky is the limit for both the player and the team. Count on it.
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