The New England Patriots have made it clear that they will not rush Drake Maye into action in his rookie season, but it sounds coaches are already impressed with what they have seen from the former North Carolina quarterback.
While discussing Maye on NBC Sports Boston Thursday night, Albert Breer of The MMQB said he has heard from multiple sources with the Patriots that things are “going great” with Maye in practice thus far. Breer shared some specifics of what Maye has done that has left coaches and onlookers impressed.
“I’ve heard it’s going great, and that’s from multiple people today,” Breer said. “They’ve said the progress has been incremental. Now, that doesn’t mean he’s making these huge leaps, but day over day they’re seeing really good progress.
“What they’re seeing is elite downfield accuracy. So you see that, like where he can throw it to the third level at a really high level. You’re seeing an ability to go through progressions. Like, they’re seeing him go from one, to two, to three, based on what they’re able to throw at him in coverage. And then, there’s not panic, and I think that’s another thing that can help him get on the field.”
"I've heard it's going great… day over day they're seeing really good progress"@AlbertBreer shares what he's hearing about the development of Drake Maye pic.twitter.com/SrHAj1b5YW
— Patriots Coverage on NBCS Boston (@NBCSPatriots) May 30, 2024
Breer also mentioned how Maye came to the Patriots with virtually no footwork training. There have been concerns raised about Maye’s footwork going back to well before the NFL Draft, but those issues can likely be remedied with the proper coaching.
The Patriots signed veteran Jacoby Brissett this offseason. Head coach Jerod Mayo has said he would be comfortable entering the 2024 season with Brissett as the starter, and that is probably what the team will do. That said, we already know New England turned down at least one big trade offer for the No. 3 overall pick in the draft.
The Patriots believe Maye can be an elite NFL quarterback. The last thing they want to do is put him in a situation where his confidence can be ruined, but he might have a legitimate chance to start sooner rather than later if he continues to impress this offseason.
