The national experts have continued to take notice of New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye during his hot streak. In the wake of a Week 7 win at Tennessee, both Rex Ryan and Damien Woody claimed that the second-year quarterback is the best in his quarterback class.
Fast-forward a week after Maye picked apart the Cleveland Browns, and Woody is doubling down on his take.
Woody, who was a Super Bowl champ as an offensive lineman during his time in New England, is a frequent analyst on ESPN's 'Get Up,' and on that very program on Monday, he took to the stage to proclaim that Maye has a leg up on the likes of Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix.
While colleague Alex Smith tried to give those nods to Daniels and Nix, Woody made it very clear, based on Maye's play and consistency, that when it comes to Class of 2024 signal callers, the Patriots may have the best one. The numbers don't lie. Maye has thrown for 2,026 yards in eight games - just 250 yards shy of his rookie total - while completing 75 percent of his passes.
Yes, Nix and Daniels took their teams to the playoffs last year, but the Broncos and the Commanders had postseason-ready rosters while the Patriots were a mess.
Drake Maye is proving Damien Woody's words to be true
Woody was even more diplomatic about Maye's success and talent after the second-year passer dissected one of the league's best defenses in New England's Week 8 win over Cleveland.
While the Browns broke Maye's turnover-free streak and Myles Garrett recorded five sacks, Maye was surgical in throwing for 282 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 50 more yards. Garrett surpassed a record held by Reggie White during the game, so there's no shame in getting sacked by him a few times.
What matters is how Maye continues to think in a one-play-at-a-time mindset, and that has proved valuable in picking the Browns apart.
Maye and the Patriots are miles ahead of where many prognosticators thought they would be at this point in the season, while Daniels' Commanders are mired in mediocrity and injuries. Daniels himself has struggled to stay on the field this season, which was a major concern coming out of college.
The Patriots have the best quarterback in the rookie class of 2024. He's continuing to prove why on the field and in the locker room.