The New England Patriots heading into another offseason of change. This time, however, they have a quarterback to build around in Drake Maye.
Selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the North Carolina product came as advertised. He didn’t start the season as the starter, but once he took over as the team’s signal caller, teammates and fans quickly saw the raw talent and aura of a young quarterback poised to be the center piece of a team in transition.
Speaking of transition, the Patriots entered the season with a new head coach in Jerod Mayo (fired after the season) and offensive coordinator in Alex Van Pelt (also fired). Both were patient with Maye, but the team’s offensive struggles early in the season begged to give Maye a chance. Despite the issues along the offensive line, the Patriots head coach gave in to the call for the rookie, which played right into a bold prediction NFL Mocks made going into the season.
When would Drake Maye get his first NFL start?
Prior to the season NFL Mocks predicted:
“Leaning on a solid defense, Brissett will do enough to lead the Patriots to a couple early wins, but an injury in Week 4 will lead to Maye’s rookie debut in a game against the Miami Dolphins. He will struggle in an eventual loss, but in his debut as a starter Week 5 against the Houston Texans, the Maye vs CJ Stroud hype will be a promising indication of what the Patriots have in their future franchise QB.”
It didn’t exactly go down like that, but it was a loss to the Dolphins in Week 4 that lead Mayo and company to name Maye the starter vs the Texans in Week 5. In a 41-21 loss to the Texas, the Patriots were dominated and outclassed, but fans left that game with excitement and optimism over the young rookie quarterback.
Read more on New England Patriots QB Drake Maye:
In starting the game with an interception, Maye did settle down to throw for 243 yards and 3 touchdowns, including a 40-yard TD connection to Kayshon Boutte to put the team down just 14-7 going into the half. It was a tough spot for Maye to make his first NFL Draft, but the way he settled into the game and found a bit of his comfort set the tone for the rest of the season.
Again, the Patriots offense continued to struggle as far as scoring points, but it was clear that the team could move the ball with Maye under center. The rookie QB finished with 2,276 yards passing with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on the season.
It was his strong arm and ability to escape the pocket that really showcased his promise and why the Patriots are an attractive spot for coaches. Will he be a reason top talent comes to New England? That remains to be seen, but it looks like the Patriots have their quarterback and now its time to build around him and find the right coaches to put the team in a better position to succeed.
