If you read my article yesterday, “QB Sweet Spots”, you know that I listed a handful of QBs from different tiers and draft classes. For last year’s QB Draft Class, I flipped the script and wrote about the one QB who is not going to be part of anyone’s list for QB Sweet Spots, and that’s New England Patriots QB, Drake Maye.
Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots
The second-year quarterback started the majority of games but only managed to win one. Now, in fairness, the team only won four games all season, so his win accounted for 25% of them. However, he was mediocre at best.
Every QB in last year’s draft class vastly outperformed him. The only one who didn’t was JJ McCarthy, and that was because he was injured for the entire season. And Atlanta’s QB Michael Penix, in only five games, won as many games as Maye did. Washington’s Jaden Daniels and Denver’s Bo Nix made the playoffs.
Maye’s knock in college was that he had fumble issues. In 2022, he fumbled the ball seven times in 14 games. He improved in 2023, fumbling three times in 12 games. But in 2023, he had nearly 100 fewer pass attempts. The offense had more of a rushing attack, with RB Omarian Hampton rushing for 1504 yds. But even with fewer pass attempts, his interceptions increased from seven to nine.
This issue carried over into his rookie season with the Pats. In 13 games last season, he threw only 15 TDs while throwing 10 interceptions. He averaged only 175 passing yards per game, and the offense was anemic throughout the season, ranking 31st in the league. He did manage to rush for 421 yds with two rushing TDs…but he fumbled the ball an alarming nine times.
There is no reason to think he’ll have any second-year bump. He has a new HC and OC, having to learn a whole new offensive scheme under Mike Vrabel and Josh McDaniels. There aren’t many shiny new toys for him either, other than a banged-up and recovering Stefon Diggs. Fellow fumbler Rhamondre Stevenson still leads the ground game.
And in a recent poll of the top 25 NFL players, aged 25 or under, he didn’t crack the list. In just about every early QB ranking, he’s listed in the second half of starting QBs. And in most, he’s ranked in the 20s.
Las Vegas inexplicably has the team’s o/u set at 8.5, but I just don’t see it. The team is coming off back-to-back four-win seasons. To hit the over, they’ll have to win more games this year than they did in the last two years combined. It’s just not happening. The main reason for this will be their poor play at the QB position. I’ll be shocked if Maye can lead this team to any more than six wins…and that would be a vast improvement. Avoid Maye at all costs this year.