New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo spent this past weekend's rookie minicamp pumping the brakes on No. 3 overall quarterback Drake Maye. Mayo admitted that Maye is a raw product that remains in the developmental stage. With veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett also in the fold, the Patriots should feel no immediate pressure to play Maye right away.
“Early impressions of Drake? Look, he has a lot to work on,” Mayo said, via a transcript from the team. “A lot to work on. But I have no doubt that he will put the time in. You didn’t see him out here yesterday, but he was here all night trying to get on the same page as everyone else.”
Maye entered the 2024 NFL Draft with just 26 career starts. Statistically, he took a step backward in 2023 compared to his 2022 breakout campaign. Maye threw for 713 fewer yards (4,321 versus 3,608) and 14 fewer touchdowns (24 versus 38).
There's immense pressure on rookie quarterbacks to play right away. Maye was the third of three consecutive quarterbacks selected to open the draft. The Chicago Bears have already named Caleb Williams their starting quarterback. The Washington Commanders are expected to start Jayden Daniels. The Patriots shouldn't feel the need to follow suit. Maye is a different quarterback in an entirely different situation.
Williams is inheriting a lethal cast of receivers in Chicago that includes fellow rookie Rome Odunze. Daniels is a much more experienced quarterback who also has an impressive cast of veteran weapons in Washington. The Patriots' list of skill players (and offensive linemen) leaves plenty to be desired by comparison.
Rookie sixth-round pick DeMario Douglas led the Patriots in receiving yards with 561 last season. Douglas ranked 78th in the entire NFL in that category. It was the lowest team-leading total for the Patriots since 1988, and one of the five lowest yearly totals in franchise history. Most teams had two, or even three receivers with more receiving yards than Douglas. Unsurprisingly, the Patriots' pass-catchers averaged a 29th-ranked 199.5 yards per game.
The Patriots attempted to address the position during the offseason. They drafted Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker and signed K.J. Osborn in free agency. The depth chart features a mishmash of receivers that profile as No. 2 and 3 options, with Kendrick Bourne, Tyquan Thornton, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Jalen Reagor also present. There's a lot to sort through, but none of the options project as legitimate go-to playmakers. I could see Baker, a fourth-rounder, being their most productive receiver.
The offensive line has just slightly more clarity. Sidy Sow and Mike Onwenu should continue forming a solid right-sided duo, but questions loom large on the left. A pair of rookies in Caedan Wallace and Layden Robinson could legitimately open the season as starters on the left side.
There's no better way to doom a rookie quarterback than to force him to play behind a below-average offensive line with a lackluster supporting cast of receivers. Similar surroundings helped prematurely end Mac Jones' tenure with the Patriots despite him being the No. 15 selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. The Patriots traded Jones earlier this offseason after just three seasons. They must learn from their mistakes by ensuring Maye is better supported than Jones was whenever he enters the lineup.
Brissett is a veteran quarterback entering his ninth season in 2024. He reunited with the Patriots this summer, who originally drafted him in 2016. Brissett has since played for four different franchises with 48 career starts and 79 total appearances under his belt. He's the perfect bridge-type quarterback to navigate the Patriots' expected on-field difficulties.
Maye would learn valuable lessons from playing behind Brissett. Maye's development should occur behind the scenes while protecting him from the Patriots' shortcomings. Brissett should be the Patriots' starter in Week 1.
