It's probably safe to say that Drake Maye wouldn't have been the Patriots' choice if Bill Belichick was still running the front office.
The legendary New England head coach appeared on ESPN The Pat McAfee Show to crack the NFL Draft and make a notable move toward his former team's third overall pick.
“His footwork needs a lot of work,” the legendary coach said of Maye, breaking down some of his tape. “Here, he's everywhere. Never let your feet rest. Never really got into position to throw. Fired. Jumping around too much. Step up and throw it.”
“He's going to need some work in reading the defense, reading the coverage.”
Maye, a two-year starter at North Carolina, appeared to be the consensus choice of most analysts at the time. The 21-year-old signal caller was a top college player, throwing for 8,018 yards with 63 touchdowns and 16 interceptions during his time at Chapel Hill.
That amount of time wasn't enough for Belichick, however, as the coach made it clear that he believes Maye needs some “time and experience” to fully settle into his role.
“The boy is very talented. Good size, runs well, has a good arm. He just hasn't played much yet. Do not have experience.”
He also mentioned Maye comparing himself to Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, saying the current AFC East QB rival is a “pretty special player,” but agreed there are some similarities in size and his physical strength.
New England has struggled at center since losing Tom Brady, going through guys like Cam Newton, Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe and Brian Hoyer. The hope is that Maye can overcome their struggles and become the new face of their franchise.
While he may not be Belichick's QB of choice, this is the first time in 24 seasons that the Patriots have worked without his guiding influence in the front office and coaching staff.
In his place, in fact, GM Eliot Wolf and rookie head coach OJ Mayo have seen the athletic Maye make more progress, both on and off the field.
“He's one of the only quarterbacks in this draft to go up there after every loss and deal with the media,” Wolf said. “He handled it with grace and class. There were many times when reporters tried to convince him to throw someone under the bus but he didn't do it. He is a 21-year-old guy but is very mature and understands what it means to be a leader.”
