NFL Draft expert issues serious caution regarding quarterback Drake Maye.
ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. is the latest notable figure to believe that North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye should not play major snaps in the league anytime soon. “Is he a quarterback who should debut as a rookie? “I don’t think so,” Kiper remarked regarding Maye on the most recent episode of the “Eye on Foxborough” podcast, as reported by Karen Guregian of MassLive.
The first two picks in the draft are widely expected to be USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams and LSU Tigers signal-caller Jayden Daniels. The New England Patriots presently have the third overall pick, appear to be in no hurry to trade it, and have both Jacoby Brissett and backup Bailey Zappe on the roster to act as bridge possibilities at the position, potentially playing ahead of a rookie like Maye this fall.
Maye’s accuracy difficulties in college, combined with his long delivery, are two of the reasons Kiper ranks the North Carolina product third among his quarterback prospects, trailing just Williams and Daniels. “He has a longer delivery than people prefer because that gives NFL corners a chance to break on the ball,” Kiper said of Maye. “Remember how (New York Jets starter) Aaron Rodgers adjusted his delivery when he moved from the California Golden Bears to the Green Bay Packers. “But they had time to do that.”
Both Rodgers and current Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love achieved success at the highest levels after beginning their careers as backup quarterbacks in the NFL. ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky warned earlier this month that Maye “has to be on the Jordan Love-type of timeline” and “has to sit” as a rookie. More recently, Chris Simms of NBC Sports told Ben Volin of The Boston Globe that Maye should not be the third overall choice in the draft “if he’s on Jordan Love’s plan to sit and develop.” Kiper noted that Maye “needs some development” before he can face live NFL defences. Despite this, Kiper and countless other analysts predict the Patriots or another club will eventually declare Maye the draft’s
It remains to be seen whether a team will allow Maye to develop as a spectator for at least the following winter.
