The New England Patriots have began off their 2024 NFL Draft marketing campaign with a bang.
Not solely did they not commerce out of the primary spherical for a decide they’ll later use on a second-round DB, they chose the participant most pundits pegged as the very best match for them in Drake Maye.
The 21-year-old North Carolina product is 6-foot-4, 230 kilos of superior, and if historical past is any indicator, he’s a mortal lock for the Corridor of Fame. As everyone knows, if a quarterback will get drafted excessive, his success within the NFL is totally assured.
Don’t imagine me? Title a single QB drafted Prime 3, in all the historical past of the NFL Draft, that hasn’t labored out. Go forward. I’ll wait.
I’m on report a number of occasions expressing my ignorance of school soccer. I watch it casually and revel in it, however I’m not within the weeds with it the best way I’m with the NFL. My draft prep is perfunctory at greatest, and I favor to go away the evaluation to the extra certified people on the market. So, I’m approaching the Maye decide from the attitude of a daily fan versus the wannabe sportswriter I pose as for the remainder of the 12 months. And in case there are folks on the market who, the second Maye’s identify was introduced, couldn’t assist however suppose, “man…I ponder what Alec Shane thinks about that decide?”, to not fear. I’m right here to fulfill your curiosity.
Right here’s all the things that went via my thoughts as soon as the decide was in.
He’s acquired all of the items. It’s robust to observe Maye’s recreation tape and dislike what you see. The child has a cannon for an arm. He’s an enormous man, He’s athletic. He’s cellular., He can work the center of the sector and has an incredible deep ball. He can throw on the run and lengthen the play. He was the second greatest QB of his class on many draft boards and rightly so. He’s acquired some holes in his recreation for positive and isn’t probably the most polished participant within the draft, nevertheless it’s arduous to not see why the child went so excessive. When there’s a university quarterback of Maye’s caliber obtainable, you’d be silly to not give him a shot.
The entire draft is of venture. No one has a goddam clue what they’re speaking about in the case of the draft. No one is aware of who will work and who gained’t, so that you simply need to take your shot and hope for the very best. The actual draw back of drafting a QB excessive within the first spherical is that odds are you gained’t be drafting a QB within the first spherical anytime quickly; Maye is most definitely our man till 2027 come hell or excessive water.
That signifies that if he doesn’t work out, it’s again to a different rebuild in a number of years. However that’s a crap angle to have, to be trustworthy. No one is aware of a factor and solely time will inform. That’s why…
I’m optimistic. One of many actual joys of rooting for a foul crew is the sense of optimism that comes with that first-round decide. In fact the Patriots are greater than a QB away from being contenders, and naturally there are going to be some rising pains… however come on now. Why not get excited for what this represents?
You’ll be able to’t win on this league and not using a quarterback, and the Patriots have the potential. If you wish to poo poo the decide and wax about how they need to have traded down, then rock on, No matter brings you probably the most pleasure and satisfaction as a fan. However I for one am going to lean into the thrill of creating a horny draft decide for as soon as and trip the wave of optimism.
I hope Maye doesn’t begin instantly. As optimistic as I could also be, I hope Drake Maye begins his NFL profession holding a clipboard. If he completely blows everybody away in coaching camp and preseason, then so be it, however I’ll be a really completely satisfied man if Jacoby Brissett is the Patriots’ starter for September and past. The underside line is that it’s an enormous, huge leap from school to the professionals, and a transition 12 months can do most QBs quite a lot of good.
If a significant Fortune 500 firm introduced a 21-year-old school frat bro in for an interview and instructed him, “Welcome aboard, son. We’re going to carry you on as our new CEO proper out of the gate. You have got two years to utterly flip this firm round; in any other case, you’re gone and everybody right here goes to lose their job,” you’d take into account it one of many worst enterprise selections you had ever heard. However that’s precisely what we do with quarterbacks, particularly ones drafted on the high of the draft, and most of the time, it doesn’t finish effectively.
So, despite the fact that the Patriots used their most precious draft decide of the twenty first century on an important place in skilled sports activities, right here’s hoping that Maye sit for a number of weeks on the very least. Let him study the system, decide up the tempo of the NFL, obtain some mentorship from Jacoby Brissett, and begin both later this 12 months or Week 1 2025 with confidence and expertise.
Phenomenal nickname potential. It’s too unhealthy that “All The Manner Maye” is taken, as a result of that may have been stable. However with a reputation like Drake Maye, there are a ton of nice prospects for top-of-the-line nicknames this crew has seen since Sam “Bam” Cunningham.” Drake the Snake. Drake “and Bake” Maye. Maye Day. Broadway Drake Maye, simply to stay it to Jets followers.
And people are simply off the highest of my head. Tons of prospects right here, which ought to be enjoyable come Fan Notes time.
