After years of subpar quarterback play and months of painstaking speculation, the Patriots have their future face of the franchise in North Carolina’s Drake Maye.

Reports since the draft indicate New England would’ve been happy with any of the draft’s top three passers, but for my money, no one was a better fit for the rebuilding franchise known for inclement weather.

Maye offers ideal size at 6′ 4⅜”, 223 lbs, and he complements that with rare arm talent and exceptional athleticism. The former Tar Heel can make any throw from any platform with appropriate velocity. He can even flick touchdown passes with his left hand!

For anyone wondering why Drake Maye was my top pick for the #Patriots pic.twitter.com/mPMRGXjOPf

— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) April 26, 2024

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Despite his youth and inexperience, Maye consistently showed an understanding of how to attack defenders’ leverage and exploit various types of coverage. Though he’s often criticized for drifting in the pocket, this tendency, more often than not, showed Maye’s awareness of pressure and made up for poor protection. He’s also willing to stand in the pocket and take big hits if it means completing a throw.

Most of Maye’s damage comes from inside the tackles, but he can also create magic outside of structure and as a ball carrier.

His running ability doesn’t come up often, but Maye was UNC’s leading rusher in 2022, with his 56 explosive rushes (10+ yards) since 2022 ranked 3rd among FBS quarterbacks. He has a great feel for when to scramble and is at his best going downhill, showing sneaky elusiveness and the contact balance to run through arm tackles. He can also factor into the run game and does a nice job sliding to avoid big hits, though he’ll put his shoulder down or even hurdle defenders to pick up extra yards.

Maye’s talent and underrated football IQ are undeniably impressive, but he’s also a work in progress. This was reflected by how drastically different his position rankings were leading up to the draft.

When looking at raw stats from last season, Maye was the least efficient prospect among this year’s 1st-round quarterbacks.

That said, he was also operating on a higher level of difficulty than his peers, tasked with carrying a UNC offense short on talent or schematic advantages.

While Maye suffers from shaky accuracy, an occasionally hasty internal clock, and moments of over-aggressiveness, he was clearly the driving force behind UNC’s success. He was also named the ACC’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2022, which was arguably a more accurate depiction of what he can be as a pro.

Charting Drake Maye has admittedly been discouraging bc of the inconsistency, so I searched his ACC Player of the Year season for a stretch that showed his potential ceiling. 2nd half vs Pitt stood out.

Had some misfires and a missed RZ opportunity, but was cool in the pocket,… pic.twitter.com/ffFjwUjMnI

— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) April 21, 2024

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The hope is that former quarterback, coach and current Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt can use his unique experience to help Maye become the best he can be. But how well do the two complement each other’s strengths?

I went through years of quotes, stats, and film to find out.

MENTAL MAKEUP

As many scouts will tell you, talent sets a prospect’s floor, but character and mental makeup set their ceiling.

When the Patriots’ quarterback plan was still a mystery, Van Pelt described his ideal quarterback as “smart, tough, and a leader,” before mentioning any physical traits.

“I mean, obviously, there’s accuracy in the pass game and mobility and decision-making. There’s a lot that goes into it. But at the end of the day, that role is such an important role, not just for the offense, but for the team as well,” Van Pelt explained during his introductory press conference. “So a guy that’s a true leader that can come in and really get the job done really understands his teammates and gets the best out of those guys.”

After selecting Drake Maye number 3 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, de facto general manager Eliot Wolf mentioned how Maye elevated the players around him at UNC. Shortly after, when asked about Wolf’s comments, Maye’s response was exactly what you’d want to hear from a franchise cornerstone.

“I think [elevating the players around you is] a huge part of being a quarterback. You’re the face of the team. They look to you, and my responsibility is to get to know the guys personally,” Maye said. “I think that’s the biggest thing: genuine relationships. That’s kind of what I feed off of. I get to know the guys truly because you may not be able to handle different guys the same way.

One guy, you might be able to get on him a little bit, yell at him, or be a little hard on him. I had some receivers that I could do that with, and some of the offensive linemen, it was more kind of gentle, friendly and just picking them up. So, just get to know the guys personally. I think that’s the biggest thing, and just be one of the guys. I think going in there as a top-three pick rookie, I think you kind of – just stay humble.”

An NFL scout told The Athletic‘s Dane Brugler that Maye will “need time before he’s ready to lead an NFL room, but he’ll get there.” Understanding his role and the importance of staying grounded will provide a solid foundation for the 21-year-old as he learns from coaches and veteran players.

Competitiveness is another box Maye checks with flying colors. The youngest of four brothers in a family of accomplished athletes, competition is in Maye’s DNA. NFL Network‘s Cameron Wolfe reported that the night before the draft,  Maye dominated his brothers during a 4-on-4 basketball game in a Detroit gym, with no one holding back on the future 3rd overall pick.

Head coach Jerod Mayo said that toughness is what influenced him to go with Maye when watching tape.

“One thing about Drake, and we kind of talked about it this past year, they also had some holes on offense, and the thing that most impressed me about him, he would get smashed and just get right back up,” Mayo said after taking the quarterback. “That’s the same trait — you had a guy like Tom Brady — not saying that he’s Tom, but just that mentality. Same thing with Joe Burrow. Those guys just keep getting back up and continuing to play at a high level, and that was like the aha moment for me.”

By all accounts, Maye has the competitive toughness and leadership ability New England covets at quarterback. He also showed impressive decision-making for a two-year starter.

According to PFF, Maye’s 1.9% turnover-worthy play rate was 7th-lowest among FBS quarterbacks with at least 200 attempts. His 111.1 passer rating on “next read” throws was also tied for 6th among FBS passers with at least 25 such attempts, and he was willing to check down or throw away passes when necessary.

As one would expect from a young player with limited experience, Maye is still a project (more on that later). However, he seems to have the neck-up qualities that New England covets at the position. With time and effective grooming, Maye should maximize his otherworldly potential.

But how will that potential fit into Van Pelt’s scheme? And what can we expect from New England’s first-year offensive coordinator?

SCHEME FIT

After being drafted, Maye gave a glimpse into what New England’s o