As draft season rolls along, the takes and “news” you hear on players will begin to take a specific turn from glowing to critical. It happens every single year.
The latest news cycle had former Steelers fullback and ESPN analyst Merril Hoge speaking out on Drake Maye while appearing on WCCO-AM in Minneapolis.
Hoge said: “Drake Maye is the kind of player that will get you fired. Especially if you draft him in the top five or top three, he’s going to get you fired.”
He thinks the evaluation of Maye is pretty cut-and-dried and reminiscent of that of Malik Willis in 2021. Willis was favored to be one of the top quarterbacks drafted in 2021 but he now is buried on the Tennessee Titans depth chart instead.
“Willis might be the only guy that I can think of that is as erratic as Maye,” Hoge said. “I studied him for two years. … I watched every one of his games last year. … His last game against [North Carolina State] was probably the most embarrassing display I’ve seen from a guy who is supposed to be an elite franchise quarterback.”
Hoge has been right on quarterback prospects in the past. He was notably against both Tim Tebow and Johnny Manziel throughout their draft processes. Not the company Maye will want, nor Vikings fans, as he is linked to the team more and more in mock drafts.