Drake Maye is widely viewed as the type of quarterback prospect who needs to ride the bench for at least a season, but one prominent NFL reporter is not ruling out the possibility of the first-round pick starting as a rookie.
The New England Patriots took Maye with the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday night. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media spoke over the weekend about Maye’s chances of competing for a starting job in Year 1. The reporter reminded fans of what happened when the Patriots drafted Mac Jones in the first round three years ago.
“Remember when Mac Jones came in, it was like is he gonna be the starter? What’s the deal? They ended up releasing Cam Newton,” Rapoport said. “They came in, let them compete, and the guy who is the best and should be the starting quarterback starts and you make a decision moving forward.
“I think a lot of people thought that Drake Maye could come in and sit. That was generally what most scouts told me. But we will see what happens when they get on the field in training camp.”
From our NFL Draft coverage: If history is an indication, #Patriots rookie QB Drake Maye will have the chance to compete to be a starter this year. pic.twitter.com/FGmTEa2aEh
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 27, 2024
The Patriots signed Jacoby Brissett to a 1-year deal this offseason. Head coach Jerod Mayo and company have made it clear they would be comfortable entering the 2024 season with Brissett as their starter. Though, Mayo did say after the Patriots drafted Maye that Maye and Brissett will compete all spring and summer and that “the best player will start.”
Former Patriots coach Bill Belichick offered one big criticism of Maye during the draft. The former UNC star is considered a raw prospect with tremendous physical skills and potential. Maye could almost certainly benefit from a red shirt-type of year, but the pressure will begin mounting immediately if Brissett struggles.
