The New England Patriots definitely seem to have found their franchise quarterback after several years of anguish following the departure of Tom Brady.
The Patriots selected Drake Maye with the third overall pick of the NFL Draft last spring, and while he certainly experienced some hiccups like any other rookie signal-caller, he had a very impressive showing overall last season.
This has New England fans very excited about the future, and understandably so. The fact that the Pats spent a whole lot of money improving their previously barren roster this offseason has made things even more exhilarating heading into 2025.
But just where does Maye rank among the top young quarterbacks in the league?
Well, Nick Shook of NFL.com recently ranked the NFL's top 15 signal-callers on rookie contracts, and he initially placed Maye fifth. However, now that Brock Purdy landed a massive contract extension from the San Francisco 49ers, Maye is technically fourth on Shook's list.
"While Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels commanded headlines in 2024, Maye quietly proved himself as a high-ceiling prospect making the best out of a bad situation in New England," Shook wrote. "Despite a lack of protection and weapons, Maye consistently made the right decisions for the Patriots, steadily providing the franchise with reason to believe it has found its man under center. The new regime has invested in protecting the 22-year-old and supplying him with better surrounding talent, setting up for an early test for Maye, as most expect him to succeed in only his second season."
Maye is actually one spot ahead of Williams on the list, a ranking that could be viewed as slightly controversial due to the fact that Williams posted better overall numbers than Maye in 2024.
However, Williams also had much more talent around him, having weapons like DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze at his disposal. Meanwhile, Maye did not even really have a No. 2-caliber receiver on the roster, let alone a true No. 1.
We'll see how Maye fares during his sophomore campaign with better supporting pieces.
