UNC football product Drake Maye was drafted by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, officially becoming an NFL rookie. He was selected third overall.
Maye spent two seasons as a starter for the Tar Heels, winning ACC Player of the Year honors in his first year as a starter.
He is the first Tar Heel to be selected in the first round since Mitchell Trubisky in 2017. Sam Howell, a 2022 fifth-round pick, has also been a starting quarterback in the NFL, most recently with the Washington Commanders.
Here's what Maye brings to NFLTeam2, based on our own observations during the quarterback's tenure at UNC.
What Drake Maye brings to the New England Patriots in the 2024 NFL Draft
Maye has the size and skills to be a franchise quarterback and can jump off the screen with his arm strength, vision and mobility as a signal-caller. In his two seasons as a starter in college, Maye made some “amazing” plays and had some mind-boggling turnovers. Given Maye's talent and potential as a QB, he's worth the risk as a potentially franchise-changing pick.
Drake Maye's highlights, strengths and weaknesses in UNC football
Maye entered 2022 as the nation's top freshman. He won ACC Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Offensive Rookie of the Year. NFL quarterback Jameis Winston, who played at Florida State University, is the only player to win all four of these awards in the same season. Maye, who was All-ACC quarterback in both of his two seasons at UNC, had a tendency to power throw and sometimes struggled with multiple reads, but was successful as a quarterback in the NFL. It has all the tools. He also has the ability to deviate from his script and create drama on his own.
Drake Maye stats in UNC football
In two seasons as a starter, Maye completed 64.7 percent of his passes for 7,929 yards, 62 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. He also ran for 1,147 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Comparison (or potential) of Drake Maye in the NFL
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert and Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell are on opposite ends of the spectrum for Maye, a big QB with the arm and sneaky athleticism to be a playmaking signal-caller. It is the most popular comparison. May has fixable flaws, especially around forced throws. His talent is undeniable, and May feels he is closer to Herbert than Howell.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at:rbaxley@fayobserver.com Or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.
