2024 Rookie preview: Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots

There has been a large and looming shadow in New England ever since the departure of Tom Brady, one that swiftly sent the Patriot’s last first round quarterback packing. After selecting North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye with the third overall pick, the Patriots are hoping to end their streak of shaky quarterback play and bring back some of the consistency their legendary franchise quarterback once gave them in spades.

It’s fair to say that Maye is heading into the worst situation out of all his fellow rookie quarterbacks, with the offensive side of the ball in shambles. The cupboard is bare when it comes to playmakers for Maye to work with, with New England boasting the weakest group of receivers in the entire league. Maye might have to lean on a strong running game and what should be a solid defense in order to see some success early on should he snag the starting job.

What he lacks in talent around him, Maye should be able to make up with the raw talent he possesses. Though Maye is a bit of a work in progress when it comes to the more fundamental areas of the position, he has a serious knack for finding a way to make plays with subpar talent, as we saw at North Carolina. Maye is too talented to keep off the field early on and he should show some flashes in his rookie season.

Stat projection: 3,700 passing yards, 250 rushing yards, 24 touchdowns, 12 interceptions