Bill Belichick instantly throws cold water on Patriots' Drake Maye pick

Bill Belichick might not be on the Patriots' sideline anymore, or any other for the 2024 NFL season, but he was a big part of this year's draft coverage as a part of Pat McAfee's draft panel.

It was the latest stop on the head coach's spring of finally showing more of his personality, and he provided some fascinating insight into the Patriots' next quarterback.

The Patriots stayed with their No. 3 pick and chose UNC quarterback Drake Maye, whom Belichick ranked as the third best of the class. But beyond that high assessment, he didn't appear to be the biggest fan of the 21-year-old.

There have been comparisons of his game to that of Josh Allen, which Belichick took exception to and made sure everyone knew it.

"Drake compares himself a lot to Josh Allen. ... We'll see about that. I think there are some comparisons with size and athleticism, but Josh Allen is a pretty special player.

"A very talented kid. Good size, runs well, has a good arm. Just he hasn't played very much. He really doesn't have a lot of experience. He makes some big plays. ... He's gonna need some work in reading defenses, reading coverages.

"He's kind of quick to bail out of the pocket. He's gonna have to hang in there a little bit longer to find those receivers. ... This is a kid who can make all of the throws. He just needs to be more consistent. ... Transitioning from a college quarterback to a pro quarterback, he's just going to need some time and experience."

It's well known that Maye wasn't the perfect prospect, and he had some things to work on, like footwork and mechanics. But he's the youngest of the class and has time to develop, which the Patriots seem prepared for with the signing of Jacoby Brissett.

Clearly, the new regime is prepared to work with him on those easily fixable aspects of his game, hence the pick.

It had been reported that Belichick really liked Jayden Daniels and would have been the pick if he remained with the Patriots. However, he wasn't available for the team at No. 3 since the Commanders chose him one pick before. So Maye was the one to fall to them and the right pick.

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