Drake Maye heads into his third NFL season with the kind of momentum that should make the rest of the league pay attention - even if not everybody already has. The Patriots quarterback has already done plenty in a short time, and yet he still keeps getting treated like an afterthought in some corners of the NFL conversation.
That disconnect is what makes ESPN’s Louis Riddick the latest analyst to draw a sharp reaction. Riddick went as far as saying that Jayden Daniels is “still the best QB of the '24 class,” even after Maye’s rise has been impossible to ignore.
The comment came in response to quarterback rankings that had Maye at No. 8, Caleb Williams at 10, and Daniels as an honorable mention behind Sam Darnold.
One NFL personnel evaluator in that discussion said he “would still take him over the other quarterbacks [from the 2024 draft class] from a pure quarterback, decision-making standpoint.”
Maye’s résumé already carries serious weight. Drafted into a Patriots situation that was nowhere near ready to contend, he walked into chaos as a rookie and still proved he was the franchise’s future.
Year 2 brought even more upheaval, including a new head coach and staff, plus plenty of skepticism from outside New England. None of it stopped him from helping lead the Patriots to their best season since Tom Brady left in 2020.
That season included a 10-game win streak, 14 wins, an AFC East title, and representing the AFC in the Super Bowl. Maye also led all quarterbacks in several categories, with his 72% completion percentage standing out as one of the biggest numbers attached to his season. For a player many expected to be overshadowed by Williams and Daniels, it was a loud statement.
Daniels had his own huge rookie year, taking the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game. Williams also made a strong push in Year 1, and both are expected to keep climbing this fall. But Maye’s performance has been good enough to keep him firmly in that same conversation, even if he’s still the one most likely to be minimized.
Part of the problem may be perception. The Patriots’ schedule and the way last season unfolded could be coloring how Maye is viewed. But what he did - leading a team to a Super Bowl appearance while winning every away game, including in the postseason - is not the kind of production that should get brushed aside.
Now he gets a chance to answer the noise again. The Patriots have upgraded around him, especially on offense, and that gives Maye the best support he has had since entering the league two years ago.
The offensive line and receiving corps are improved, and fullback Reggie Gilliam has been added as a secret weapon. The expectation is that the problems that showed up in the postseason and the Super Bowl should not linger.
There’s still a real challenge waiting. New England is said to have one of the toughest schedules in the NFL, and the first month is a brutal test with games against the Seahawks, Steelers, Jaguars, and Bills. That stretch could shape the entire season, and it will say a lot about how Maye handles the opening weeks.
He also has plenty to lean on emotionally. The Patriots came away frustrated after Super Bowl LX against the Seahawks, and that loss has left a bad taste in their mouths. The hope is that it becomes fuel from Week 1 on.
If Maye takes another leap, the conversation around him changes fast. A stronger roster, better protection, and more weapons should make life easier for him, and that could lead to the kind of weekly production that leaves less room for doubters like Riddick to stand their ground. Even if the skeptics never come around, the bigger point already feels settled: Maye is the future of the Patriots, and the decision to draft him under Jerod Mayo was the right one.
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