Drake Maye To Patriots? NFL Draft Expert Raises Concern About Fit
UNC quarterback Drake Maye has as good a chance to be taken by the Patriots with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft as anyone.
Is that New England’s best course of action, though?
It has been (and will continue to be) argued that Maye deserves to be in that spot, just like it has been for LSU’s Jayden Daniels and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. We know they all have talent, but given the Patriots’ need at surrounding positions, it’s not really about the talent. It’s about fit.
ESPN draft expert Jordan Reid helped illustrate that with an excerpt relating to Maye in an interactive simulator.
Alex Van Pelt’s scheme features play-action, bootleg and vertical elements, requiring someone like Maye — a strong-armed passer who can also operate outside of structure — to run it. But Maye struggled at times at UNC because the surrounding personnel wasn’t great, and the Patriots’ current infrastructure doesn’t lend itself to a rookie QB stepping in and having immediate success.
OK, so New England’s system fits Maye, but the personnel doesn’t.
The Patriots can work with that.
It doesn’t matter which quarterback New England ends up selecting, the talent surrounding him won’t be up to par. If its going to take one, though, don’t you think it makes sense to grab a guy that fits the system? The Patriots should have the “surrounding talent” concern for all the quarterbacks they might have a shot taking at with the No. 3 pick, but if they intend on drafting a signal-caller this season, at least get a guy who fits the system.