The New England Patriots are hoping that Drake Maye can be the man to lead the franchise forward after a turbulent few seasons.
It has been over four years since legendary quarterback Tom Brady signed with Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Pats have struggled to find a suitable replacement. Mac Jones, Cam Newton, Brian Hoyer and Bailey Zappe all failed to established themselves as starters causing the organization to turn to rookie signal-caller Drake Maye.
New England used the third overall pick to draft the dynamic quarterback which means he could start right away. At 21 years old, Maye is still young but the Patriots will require him to make an instant impact.
Newly appointed head coach Jerod Mayo was asked about Maye’s progress and toned down expectations.
“Early impressions of Drake? Look, he has a lot to work on,” said Mayo per Pro Football Talk. “But I have no doubt that he will put the time in. You didn’t see him out here yesterday, but he was here all night trying to get on the same page as everyone else.”
Jerod Mayo: Drake Maye has a lot to work on, he'll put the time in. https://t.co/7VJE1TL8Rq
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) May 12, 2024
Maye was a standout with the University of North Carolina where he finished with 7929 passing yards and 62 touchdowns over the last two seasons.
It remains unclear whether North Carolina native will start in Week 1. The Patriots also have Jacoby Brissett, Bailey Zappe and rookie Joe Milton III on the depth chart going into the 2024 season.
