2024 NFL Draft: Grading Drake Maye’s landing spot

Maye enters the NFL in probably the worst situation of all rookie QBs. The Patriots have a mess at wide receiver, a strong top-15 running back in Rhamondre Stevenson (when healthy), and ol’ reliable Hunter Henry still at tight end.

Nothing jumps off the page for New England, and if last season’s disastrous combination of Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe tells us anything, Maye could struggle.

The lone bright spot is Stevenson, who doesn’t have to deal with Ezekiel Elliott anymore. Instead, it is the pass-catching Antonio Gibson who was brought in this off-season that likely will take some third-down work away from him.

Overall, the situation is below average for Maye, but it isn’t completely a lost cause. With rookie wideouts Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker a part of Maye’s draft class, an injection of youth into a WR unit with JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeMario Douglas, K.J. Osbourn, and Kendrick Bourne was much needed.

Year 1 expectations

Maye is the most pro-ready passer out of the Tier 2 group, a group that includes Daniels and J.J. McCarthy. While the situation he is entering isn’t great, the draft capital used by the Patriots demonstrates their interest in him hitting the ground running.

Jacoby Brissett could see a few starts this year, especially if Maye is given the first three games to acclimate. The looming presence of Brissett makes it a bit tough to know the full impact Maye would have in a full season, but that is reflected in the 2024 season projections below.

A big part of how Maye does in his rookie season relies on the development of both of his rookie targets. While Polk was a second-round draft pick, Baker looks to be an underrated gem that New England drafted in the fourth round.

With no other receivers currently on the roster looking like long-term prospects, the relationship that Maye forms with both (or either) Baker or Polk is a big testament to how his development process will go.

While likely playing from behind, don’t expect Maye to be a factor in the Rookie of the Year race in 2024. His set of weapons will likely let him down on more than one occasion next season, ultimately making his first season a very trying campaign.

2024 Stat Projections – 2,809 passing yards, 17 TDs, 14 INTs, 263 rushing yards, 4 rushing TDs

Fantasy Football impact

Maye probably won’t be following the path that CJ Stroud did last season, with the Houston QB exploding onto the scene. Instead, expect Maye to have more of a mellow debut, learning to work with the limited resources he has as new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and new head coach Jerod Mayo get their rookie QB up to speed.

It isn’t likely for Maye to have a big-time fantasy football impact this season, so temper any expectations for him. A QB25 finish is likely near where his 2024 season wraps up, making him tough to roster in any redraft fantasy football format.

Landing spot grade

Grade: A

Maye feels like the right choice for the Patriots, as they take another chance on finding their franchise QB. While upgrading the skill positions on offense would do a ton for Maye, he will be forced to live with the below-average unit around him currently.

New England is still a year away from being a year away, but Maye is on the right timeline for their rebuild. Mayo seems like the right fit as the next head coach in Foxborough, and while Van Pelt has struggled to stick in places like Cleveland and Green Bay, his wealth of knowledge will be helpful for Maye.

For any Patriots fans reading this synopsis, Maye seems to be one of the least talked-about, third-overall selections in recent memory, but his skill level shouldn’t scare you off. Maye showed plenty during his time in Chapel Hill to justify being a top-five selection, and he will just need to endure a few bumpy patches as the offense figures out who is in their long term plans, and who isn’t.