Patriots' Drake Maye Emerging as Offensive Leader

Since being selected third overall by the New England Patriots in the 2024 NFL Draft, quarterback Drake Maye has been all but officially anointed as the “face” of the franchise.

The former North Carolina Tar Heel has not only been touted for his exceptional athleticism and mental resilience, he is also being recognized for his natural leadership ability. In fact, Maye’s skills in providing direction to his teammates was recently put to the test by head coach Mike Vrabel.

Maye, per Patriots insider Mike Reiss, was recently charged with the duty of leading an OTAs which tested all players' physical and mental toughness — including the second-year quarterback, himself.

“At the end of the most recent practice open to reporters, Vrabel lined up the entire offense along the goal line, with Maye in the middle, and implored Maye to decisively call out the cadence before everyone ran a sprint on the correct snap count,” Reiss wrote in his heralded Sunday column for ESPN. “Many players were gassed by the end, which is as close to the maximum physical exertion that can happen in a voluntary spring practice.

“As the drill progressed, which included changeups of Vrabel telling Maye to call out of a "dummy" snap count to see if any players might jump early, Maye had to make sure his voice was heard from sideline to sideline,” he added.

Based on the initial returns, the Patriots' offense appears to be accepting of Maye as its leader. Whether it be rookies, or team veterans, the 22-year-old’s drive and enthusiasm is inspiring those around him to be better with each snap.

"He's a leader. He has that kind of 'oomph' to him," running back Rhamondre Stevenson recently told reporters. “It’s clear that he wants to win, he wants to get better.”

Maye, in his rookie campaign, played in 13 games, starting 12 after taking over for veteran incumbent Jacoby Brissett in Week 6. The 6’4” 225-pound quarterback completed 67 percent of his passes for 2,276 yards and 15 touchdowns. Despite showcasing impressive poise and resilience at times, Maye was seemingly unable to reach his maximum potential — due largely in part to his being surrounded by a subpar supporting cast and incomplete coaching.

The Patriots attempted to bolster Maye’s on-field stable of weapons this offseason by adding receivers Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins — along with potential rookie playmakers TreVeyon Henderson and Kyle Williams — to favorite targets Hunter Henry and DeMario Douglas. As for the coaching void, New England hired arguably the top offensive coordinator available in Josh McDaniels.

While McDaniels’ has understandably been impressed by his quarterback’s “cannon-like” arm, he has found Maye’s work ethic and natural leadership particularly rewarding to watch — especially as the UNC product attempts to take New England’s offense to new heights sooner rather than later. 

“I think he’s doing a really good job of digesting the information,” McDaniels said. “He is doing well with processing the corrections when there is a correction to be made, and [then] going out there with a great attitude and mindset the next day.”

McDaniels’ satisfaction has seemingly extended to new Pats’ quarterbacks coach Ashton Grant — who recently praised Maye’s physical and mental versatility — traits which are essential to succeeding in New England’s offensive scheme.

"I think Drake is doing a helluva job with a change from one offense to a new offense," Grant said. "He's been a pro's pro. He's been super intentional with everything we've asked him to do, so I couldn't be happier with where he is right now."

Maye will once again lead his team tarting Monday for mandatory minicamp — their final pre-training camp tune-up staking place from Jun 9-11 on the fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium.