New England Patriots receive Drake Maye prediction few saw coming

The New England Patriots appear to be unsure of their starting quarterback for the NFL season as rookie Drake Maye ’s progression was made evident.

Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo may have a quarterback headache for week one when New England begin the new season against the Cincinnati Bengals in little over two weeks. Maye was selected as the number three overall pick in the 2024 draft and is a consideration to start the campaign.

Concerns surrounding the former North Carolina star emerged during preseason after he was reportedly outshone in some training camps by sixth-round draft pick Joe Milton III and having barely featured in the Patriots’ pre-season opener.

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But NFL analyst Greg Cosell has explained why he isn’t worried about Maye. He told FS1's Colin Cowherd on "The Herd" on Wednesday: "I'm not sure he's quite as raw as people think. He had a few things he has to clean up. He tended to drift to his left in the pocket. That you have to clean up in the National Football League because otherwise you create your own pressure. I think that he's comfortable."

Cosell added that he saw progress from the 21-year-old in New England’s second pre-season game against the Philadelphia Eagles. "I got a chance to speak to some coaches at North Carolina where he played," Cosell said. “They told me, in their mind, there is no bust factor at all with Drake Maye. You have to know the kid, know the way he works, know how he sees the game, know how his teammates respond. I like Drake Maye."

Mayo said that the Patriots expect to know who their starting quarterback will be early next week but admitted the decision will likely not be revealed immediately. "I would say by Monday night, we should know who the quarterback is," Mayo said via NESN . "A Sunday night game, it's always hard to really crank through the film, especially on the road. But, I think Monday, Tuesday, you probably need to know who it is. Now, that doesn't mean I'll tell you on Monday or Tuesday."

However, Mayo did state that Jacoby Brissett is currently still the top quarterback in the Patriots. "You come into camp, and you want to have an idea of how it's going," Mayo said. "It's still a competition, and Jacoby is still QB1. It's a competition amongst all the guys on the field, including the quarterback spot. So, hopefully, that makes sense... but he's still QB1."

The Patriots head coach added the decision of who the starting quarterback will be would be a collective selection by himself, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, fellow offensive coaches and Eliot Wolf.