Patriots avoided a disastrous dumpster fire situation with Drake Maye pick

The New England Patriots flirted with the idea of trading down in the 2024 NFL Draft, seemingly up to the buzzer, but they made the right decision by sticking, picking, and taking North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye in the end. Of course, we won't know for quite some time whether or not they truly made the right decision, but in terms of the process, this is the right move.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported about an hour before the 2024 NFL Draft that the Patriots were going to stick and pick, and that it was likely they would go with Maye.

If the Patriots had decided to trade down from this pick, passing on Maye, it might have been the worst possible way to usher in the Jerod Mayo era. The Patriots traded 2021 first-round pick Mac Jones for a late-round pick this offseason. Bill Belichick retired. The franchise is at the lowest point many fans have ever really even known.

Passing on a quarterback prospect like Drake Maye, an athletic guy with a live arm and a lot of potential, could have been disastrous.

And ultimately, the Patriots avoided disaster.

We may not know how Drake Maye is going to turn out as a player, but he's been compared by some to the likes of Justin Herbert and Jordan Love. His supporting cast at North Carolina diminished in 2023 and his production took a dip, but what we saw from him in 2022 was #1 overall pick worthy. And there are still some people who would say they'd take him #1 overall in this draft if they had the pick.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com seems to think there is a bit of boom or bust to this selection...

"Challenging evaluation with top-flight measurables and tools but inconsistencies that create a lower floor. Maye’s size and arm talent jump off the tape immediately. He can make every throw, but he will try to make throws that he shouldn’t have attempted. The gunslinger mentality creates a fearlessness that can turn into interceptions, but it will also allow him to win in tight windows and make splash throws that get crowds (and evaluators) on their feet. He leaves too many throws on the back shoulder or hip and needs to learn when to take some sauce off the throw to make it more catchable. There is an undeniable energy to Maye’s game that can create momentum or turn chaotic when plays come off-schedule for him. The combination of traits and tape make him a boom/bust prospect who might need patient management and coaching to help shepherd him toward his potential."

- Lance Zierlein

The question at this point is this: Do the Patriots have the right coaching in place to get the best out of Maye?

There were other teams that really wanted him. Badly. The Vikings have Kevin O'Connell and he just hired Josh McCown as his quarterbacks coach this offseason. McCown worked with Maye when he was still in high school. The New York Giants may have been the most aggressive team late in the process in trying to trade up with the Patriots to have Maye replace Daniel Jones as their franchise QB.

The Patriots had Mac Jones in the Pro Bowl in his rookie year back in 2021 but hired a guy running the hot dog stand outside the stadium to be their offensive coordinator after Josh McDaniels left. Predictably, it didn't work out. Jerod Mayo hired Alex Van Pelt as his offensive coordinator this offseason and TC McCartney as the quarterbacks coach.

Those guys don't exactly have an illustrious history of developing quarterbacks, but Maye will be on another level talent-wise.

For New England's sake, it's just good they decided not to trade out and punt the QB situation, even with a bunch of needs on the roster right now.