Subsequent a depressing two-time playoff drought in what turned out to be the final two seasons under 6-time Super Bowl winner head mentor/basic manager Monthly bill Belichick, the New England Patriots seem to be to be all-in on their quarterback of the foreseeable future this year.
Rumors persisted in the months top up to the start off of the NFL draft on Thursday that the team, which completed with a brutal 4-13 report and was rewarded with the No. 3 decide on in the draft as a end result, would be amenable to relocating down in the draft, forgoing just one of the prime picks and as a substitute buying more foreseeable future equity.
In accordance to Albert Breer of Sports activities Illustrated, a pair of NFC teams both of those strived to pry the 3rd decide on away from fresh New England normal manager Eliot Wolf via tantalizing trade presents.
“The Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants did make offers to the New England Patriots for the No. 3 pick to take Drake Maye,” Breer reports. “Before this 7 days, Minnesota provided the Nos. 11 and 23 picks, and its 2025 initially-rounder, with choose swaps favoring the Vikings as part of the proposal and that supply ticked up with New England on the clock. The Giants, in the meantime, did wind up placing their 2025 first-spherical pick in their supply to move from No. 6 to No. 3.”
Greg Fiume/Getty Illustrations or photos
As an alternative, the Pats made a decision to, properly, stand pat. New England drafted Maye, the third consecutive quarterback picked soon after now-Chicago Bears signal caller Caleb Williams (formerly of USC) and now-Washington Commanders quarterback Jaden Daniels (previously of LSU).
Maye, 21, is a 6-foot-4, 223-pound prospect with a extensive heritage of Tar Heels roots. He was honored as the ACC Player of the Year, the ACC Offensive Participant of the Calendar year, and the ACC Rookie of the Yr in 2022 (he redshirted his genuine freshman year in 2021, participating in in just four contests driving commencing UNC quarterback Sam Howell), and designed a pair of All-ACC teams in 2022 and 2023.
All through his to start with season as the team’s comprehensive-time starter in 2022, Maye passed for 4,321 overall yards, finishing 342-of-517 overall tries (66.2 %), whilst notching 38 touchdowns from just seven interceptions. He concluded with a 157.9 passer rating. Last calendar year, he handed for a even now-wonderful 3,608 yards on 269-of-425 pass tries, as well as 24 touchdowns. He logged a 149 passer score. Previous 12 months, Maye passed for about 400 yards against Syracuse, Miami, and Campbell.
New England has been on the hunt for its extensive-phrase quarterback solution due to the fact allowing 3-time MVP and 6-time Patriots Super Bowl champ Tom Brady depart for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a cost-free agent in 2020. Mac Jones, Cam Newton, and Bailey Zappe had been all auditioned, while no a single could adequately fill Brady’s cleats. Now, it is really Maye’s change to try out.
A whopping 6 quarterbacks were picked in the NFL draft’s top rated 12 this 12 months, as quite a few golf equipment appear to enhance maybe the most important place in the activity on their respective rosters. However he is not as hugely regarded as Williams and could not quite strike the ceiling of Daniels, Maye’s sizing and potential make him just one of the safer bets on the board.
Uncommon Expertise
Newsweek is committed to tough traditional wisdom and getting connections in the look for for typical ground.
Newsweek is fully commited to hard regular knowledge and finding connections in the lookup for common ground.
