National Football League

Would Patriots really sit No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye to start the season?

Published May. 2, 2024 3:17 p.m. ET

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Henry McKenna

AFC East Reporter

Jacoby Brissett doesn't really stand a chance.

The New England Patriots selected Drake Maye No. 3 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. They took him to be the face of their franchise. But the plan is, for now, not to rush him into action. It's something the Patriots made clear to Maye before even drafting him.

"They asked me [how I would feel not starting] in front of a bunch of coaches," Maye told reporters. "I'll prepare and be ready to be the starter, but at the same time, you know that as a young guy coming in there, it's not given to you. You've got to earn it. … My job is to go in there, earn the guys' respect, help whoever is the starter, if I'm not, be the best player they can and help this team win."

The upside for Maye is tremendous. He is a prospect with size (6-foot-4, 230 pounds), arm velocity, mobility and athleticism that most of his NFL peers don't have. What do those elite pro QBs have that Maye doesn't? An understanding of offensive and defensive schemes and a mastery of situational offense. 

That's why an AFC executive told me before the draft that he believes Maye should spend an entire season on the bench before getting a start.

"We're not sitting here saying that Drake is our starting quarterback. I think he understands that. He understands the things that he has to get better at," new Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said after Round 1 of the draft. "You can talk about potential all you want to. Until you reach it, it really doesn't matter. We did know the man; we know the man is a hard worker, and he's going to do everything he can to be successful."

While executive Eliot Wolf, Mayo and Maye have all preached patience in these early days, it's hard to imagine anyone holding Maye out of the starting rotation when his physical tools help him eclipse Brissett on the depth chart.

I understand why some think Brissett might hold off Maye. I'm not buying it. The concept is rooted in Wolf's history.

Along with spending four seasons under Bill Belichick and the Patriots, Wolf spent 15 years with the Packers and two years with the Browns. That stint in Green Bay was formative. Wolf witnessed the Packers drafting and stashing Aaron Rodgers, the 24th overall pick in 2005. And after Wolf left Green Bay, the Packers did something similar with Jordan Love. 

Wolf could very well follow that pattern. "We are a draft and develop team," he said during a pre-draft press conference.

Patriots thrive in first NFL Draft without Bill Belichick

Of course, the problem goes back to Brissett's value. He's not Brett Favre or Rodgers. Brissett is right on the cusp as a journeyman spot starter and backup.

He has done a nice job operating several offenses around the NFL. But at no point has he truly elevated one. He is a safe conductor, merely keeping the train running and on the tracks. He won't tune up the train to go full-speed ahead. There's no evidence of that at any point in his career — not over multiple-game stretches. 

But the Patriots are insistent he can and will compete with Maye for the starting job. Brissett has experience in offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt's offense. But it's an offense that makes plenty of sense for Maye, too.

It's just not realistic to expect Brissett to hold off someone like Maye. Even when he's not ready, he'll make plays that will make him a tantalizing and exciting option for the starting lineup. The messaging isn't wrong either. The Patriots are smart to promote competition on a team that went 4-13 last season. They are smart to test Maye with a little adversity out of the gate. It is totally the right thing to say and do. But New England didn't just take Maye at third overall because he's a project. They got Tennessee QB Joe Milton in the seventh round of this year's draft because he is really a project — so much so that some think he'll eventually play a different position in the NFL. 

Maye can play. He'll make mistakes, but in a season when the Patriots are aiming more for .500 than a playoff appearance, those mistakes might serve as teaching moments. The only hesitancy from New England should come around their offense's readiness to support a young quarterback. 

Some would say it's the worst offense in the NFL for the quarterback.

"I think they're wrong," Maye said. "The defense last year held a lot of teams to low points, and I'm looking forward to helping in any way offensively."

I'll try to hold my tongue about how a defense only barely tangentially supports a quarterback.

But I'll say that the Patriots did address the offensive line and the receiver positions — albeit in a less splashy way than many expected, given the Patriots entered the offseason with a massive amount of cash. 

On the offensive line, New England let Trent Brown walk in free agency and, instead, brought in Chukwuma Okorafor, a career right tackle. The Patriots retained guard/tackle Michael Onwenu. And then New England drafted tackle Caedan Wallace and guard Layden Robinson. It's an overhaul — but maybe not a concrete upgrade.

For receivers, the Patriots quarterback will have Kendrick Bourne, KJ Osborn, Demario Douglas and rookies Ja'Lynn Polk (second round) and Javon Baker (fourth round). That's probably the position where there's clearly some progress, though the rookies are anything but a given to contribute. Tight end Hunter Henry returned in free agency and Austin Hooper joined the team. That spot looks solid.

Running back Rhamondre Stevenson will be Maye's best friend, both as a target out of the backfield and as a powerful runner who draws defenders into the box.

It should be enough to give Maye a healthy space to grow. It may not be an elite offense, and the left tackle position is certainly uncertain. But for a year focused on development, it's the kind of offense that shouldn't damage Maye. He is, after all, a player who drew Wolf's attention for making North Carolina's offense functional in a year of turnover.

"Not to take anything away from anyone else in the program, but the game was on his shoulders for them," Wolf said. "They have some talented players, talented running backs and receivers, but he really was able to elevate them and make them into what they could be."

Sounds like a familiar story.

Sounds like what Maye will have to do in New England.

Starting Week 1, no doubt.

Prior to joining FOX Sports as the AFC East reporter, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna.

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Henry McKenna