Tom E. Curran, Albert Breer and former Patriots QB Brian Hoyer offer instant reaction and analysis to the Patriots’ selection of QB Drake Maye third overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Meet Drake Maye, the future quarterback of the New England Patriots.
The Patriots selected Drake Maye with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday night. Our Patriots Insider Tom E. Curran reported earlier Thursday that New England was expected to keep the pick and select Maye unless it was blown away by a trade offer.
The Patriots desperately need a QB after trading Mac Jones this offseason, so Maye is a logical choice for de facto general manager Eliot Wolf and new head coach Jerod Mayo.
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So, who are the Patriots getting in Maye? Here's everything you need to know about the 21-year-old former UNC quarterback:
Drake Maye's bio
- Height: 6-foot-4
- Weight: 223 pounds
- Birthdate: Aug. 30, 2002
- Birthplace: Huntersville, N.C.
- High School: William A. Hough (Cornelius, N.C., from 2017-18); Myers Park (Charlotte, N.C., from 2018-21)
- College: University of North Carolina (2021-23)
Drake Maye's family
Maye's father, Mark Maye, was a three-year starter at quarterback for UNC from 1984 to 1987 and held multiple school passing records by the end of his collegiate career.
Maye's oldest brother, Luke Maye, was a star forward for the UNC basketball team from 2015 to 2019 and helped the Tar Heels win a national championship in 2017. Maye has two other brothers: Cole Maye, a former pitcher for the University of Florida, and Beau Maye, a walk-on for the UNC basketball team.
Drake Maye's college stats
Maye originally committed to Alabama in 2019 before flipping to North Carolina in 2020. He redshirted as a freshman in 2021 behind starter Sam Howell, appearing in just four games.
Maye's best college season came in 2022, when he completed 66.2 percent of his passes for a school-record 4,321 yards with 38 touchdown passes to seven interceptions while rushing for 698 yards and seven touchdowns. Maye was named 2022 ACC Player of the Year while leading the Tar Heels to the ACC Championship Game and a berth in the Holiday Bowl.
Maye completed 63.3 percent of his passes for 3,608 yards in 2023 while throwing 24 touchdown passes to nine interceptions. He racked up 449 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns on 112 attempts.
Drake Maye's top highlights
Drake Maye's scouting report
With a rocket arm and above-average mobility, Maye is one of the most physically gifted QBs in this draft class. His sturdy frame and running ability have led some to compare him to Buffalo Bills star QB Josh Allen.
Here's what our Phil Perry wrote about Maye in his most recent NFL Mock Draft:
"Maye has the kind of arm that will help him play through the elements in Foxboro, and he's impressed in all of his pre-draft meetings with the organization thanks to what he's shown from a football IQ standpoint. The coaching staff is confident in its ability to iron out whatever mechanical issues Maye may take with him to his new home, and some insist -- due to coaching and personnel changes in 2023 -- his 2022 film is a much better indicator of what he'll be with the right people in his ear.
"He's the shortest and youngest in an athletic and uber-competitive family -- the runt, so to speak -- which the Patriots like. He had to scratch and claw to keep up and it's helped turn him into the competitor he is. While he shows what is at times a happy-go-lucky Southern demeanor, the Patriots know he has an edge to him that has been made apparent throughout the process that belies that aw-shucks facade."
Check out the video below to watch Perry, Curran and former Patriots quarterback Brian Hoyer break down Maye's game. (You can watch the full version here.)
Learn more about Drake Maye
- ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. explains why Maye would be a "home run swing" for the Patriots
- NFL analyst Charles Davis breaks down the differences between Maye and Jayden Daniels
- Pro Football Focus analyst Steve Palazzolo explains one of the best aspects of Maye's game
- NFL Network's analytics expert Cynthia Frelund highlights Maye's ability to vary his throwing speeds
- Eric Eager of SumerSports details why Maye's size could work to his advantage in New England
- The Athletic's Joe Person shares what Maye was like in high school
