Drake Maye

The Patriots made Maye the third overall pick in this year’s draft, hoping he’s the QB of the future that Mac Jones failed to be. Jones, the 15th overall pick in 2021, flamed out and was traded in March to Jacksonville. The Patriots signed veteran Jacoby Brissett, with whom Maye will compete to start this season. Even if Maye isn’t the Week 1 starter, he likely will be under center at some point this year. At 6-4, 223, Maye has prototypical size for a quarterback, with a strong and talented arm that can both attack defenses deep and slip balls into tight windows. Scouts praised his field vision and anticipation, and he’s an athletic dual-threat who rushed for 1,147 yards and 16 TDs his last two years at North Carolina. Maye is a bit of gun-slinger, prone to an ill-advised pass, and inconsistent mechanics and poor footwork at times hurt his accuracy, especially on routine short throws. But the Patriots have time to develop that while Brissett handles QB duty. The bigger issue is a lack of playmakers to target in the passing game. The WR depth chart is topped by Kendrick Borne, who is coming off an ACL injury, and Demario Douglas, a 2023 sixth-round pick who failed to score last season. Second-round rookie Ja’Lynn Polk might already be the best wide receiver and tight end Hunter Henry could be the No. 2 target. Maye at least gives the Patriots a good start to the post-Bill Belichick era. Read Past Outlooks