Ranking the Patriots' 5 quarterback choices in 2024 NFL Draft

3. Drake Maye (UNC)

One of the biggest microscopes this offseason has been on Maye, as he has often been linked to the Patriots in mock drafts. The potential is clearly there, but there are some inconsistencies.

He completed 63.3 percent of his passes (lowest among the top-5 quarterbacks), but he did throw for 3,608 yards and 24 touchdowns to just nine interceptions. And if you look back at his 2022 season, which really put him on the map, he had 4,321 yards passing, 38 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions. It's really a matter of him returning to that 2022 form.

The word of the draft season in regards to Maye is "upside", and it's impossible not to see when watching what he did at North Carolina. Maye makes throws that only a handful of NFL quarterbacks can make (Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen come to mind). With the success/duals Mahomes and Allen have had in the playoffs, it's hard to ignore the prospects of having a similar quarterback at the helm in Foxboro.

Maye opted not to do running drills at the Combine or North Carolina's Pro Day, so in regards to his speed/mobility, all we have is what he put on tape and the stats sheet. In 2023, Maye rushed for 449 yards and nine touchdowns, following up a 2022 season in which he ran for 698 yards and seven touchdowns.

All five QBs at the top of this draft have some level of mobility, and Maye certainly fits that mold as a dual threat. He will almost certainly be gone after the No. 3 pick, whether that is to Washington, New England, Minnesota, or someone else that trades up.