Leading into the 2024 NFL Draft, there were a lot of rumors about what direction the New England Patriots could go in. They were reportedly open to making a trade back in the draft, but only if they were blown away by a trade offer.

Evidently, that king’s ransom of an offer never materialized as the Patriots opted to stay at No. 3. With that selection, they picked North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye. Maye is the new franchise quarterback in New England, as he will be replacing Mac Jones, who was a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Maye drew some comparisons to Buffalo Bills star Josh Allen during the pre-draft process with his combination of size, athleticism and strong arm. However, like Allen when he was coming out of Wyoming, patience has to be exhibited as Maye will need some time to develop his game.

“Drake Maye has an incredibly high ceiling, but there is a lot of work to do. The Patriots are going to have their work cut out for them.

He can make every single throw in the book, but there are some questions. How will he handle NFL pressure? Can he learn to read defenses better and not force throws?

Despite the concerns, the Patriots got a guy they can build around. They need to add more pieces around him though. If they can do that and bring him along while keeping his confidence up, they’re getting a long-term franchise quarterback.”

New England has been seeking out a long-term option at quarterback since Tom Brady opted to leave in free agency in 2020 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They moved on from Jones this offseason, trading him to the Jacksonville Jaguars, as the Maye era is set to begin in 2024.

Maye was very productive in his time at North Carolina and the Patriots are hoping he brings some dynamic performances to the field for them as well. 

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