New England Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf made an assessment of rookie quarterback Drake Maye on draft night, and Maye’s former offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Chip Lindsey, is on the same page as well.
Wolf cited Maye’s ability to elevate his teammates in college as a reason for the Patriots drafting him with the No. 3 overall pick. The former North Carolina quarterback threw for 3,608 yards, 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions in his final collegiate season.
Maye’s ability to elevate his teammates could be something of importance to New England, as the organization is looking to rebuild their entire offense. Lindsey agrees with the assessment of the quarterback making people around him better, as transcribed by NESN.com’s Sean T. McGuire.
“He did a great job of making everybody play their best. Everybody elevated their game when he played,” Lindsey said. “…I think Drake’s gonna transition really well. He’s extremely competitive and really, really smart. Football IQ is off the charts.
“He’s got everything you want. He’s got all the intangibles and he’s talented. Anytime you have that combination you’re gonna have a really good player, and I think he’ll adapt really well.”
This is a challenging situation for a rookie quarterback to come into. New England has had to rebuild the entire offense, and the quarterback is certainly a big part of that.
The organization has needed stability at the position, and Maye has the characteristics to get it done.