Top NFL analyst makes bold statement about Drake Maye's status among rookie QBs

The Patriots' 2024 season is a washout after being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. No shock there, but it wasn't necessary at all. It's been suggested here that had rookie quarterback Drake Maye started from the camps, he'd be much further along in his still-lightning development, and the team could have contended for a playoff berth.

Regardless, Maye's rapid improvement is attracting attention from solid NFL sources, including respected NFL draft expert Daniel Jeremiah. These are eye-opening comments by a neutral observer who is well-respected by NFL followers.

Let's take a look at Jeremiah's comments from his appearance on the "What The Football" podcast and see why his take on Drake Maye is spot on. Not only have they justified the Pats' decision to draft Maye with the third-overall pick in the 2024 draft, but they also provide massive positive expectations for the future.

Daniel Jeremiah thinks highly of Patriots Rookie QB, Drake Maye

Daniel Jeremiah feels Patriot Nation should be ecstatic about the team's future prospects. This is welcome news from such a dependable source. Here's a related comment about Maye, as cited by Evan Massey,

“Of all the fanbases, the one that I think should feel the most excited right now, it should be New England because of what he’s doing and what he’s with," Jeremiah said.

He nailed it with this comment. He's confirming what Patriot Nation has already seen from the precocious rookie since he first stepped on the field in the pre-season. He's electric with a football in his hands and has the proverbial ice water in his veins. Nothing phases the young man.

Jeremiah also addressed the suggestion that playing with the weak offensive line and other deficient aspects of the offense would be a mistake. He debunked those thoughts easily.

"He’s got nothing to work with. The whole worry was, ‘We’re going to ruin Drake Maye by putting him out there because of what we have around him.’ And the exact opposite’s happened. Drake Maye’s gone in there and made everyone else around him better, which for a rookie quarterback, that’s some rare stuff.”

Jeremiah labels Drake Maye as "the best of the 2024 quarterback class"

"Making everyone around him better" should be music to Patriot Nation's ears. Maye had just the right blend of arm strength, the capability to throw from any angle and on the run, and a terrific ability to choose the right time and situations to tuck the ball under his arm and run with it.

Maye doesn't just scramble; he's a top-running quarterback. Any doubts about that should be dispelled by the fact that he's third in rushing on the team behind Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson. He sports a 9.1-yard-per-carry record, besting everyone else by a mile. This complements his rising passing completion percentage, which now sits at 67.1 percent and could rise even higher.

The "frosting on the cake" in Jeremiah's take on Maye is that he feels the Pats' rookie is the cream of the crop of 2024's strong quarterback class. Jeremiah, as quoted by Massey, says, "'If you’re going to ask me about all these rookie quarterback(s) what I’ve been most impressed by, I would say Drake Maye,' Jeremiah said."

That's high praise, indeed, when top rookies like Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix are playing at a high level. With all this in mind, should things continue on an upward trajectory, Maye just might validate an early prediction that he might contend for 2024's Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in the NFL.

Wouldn't that be a nice way to conclude a lost season?

More Patriots news and analysis: