In three seasons at UNC, two where he was the starter, quarterback Drake Maye threw 618 completions for 8,018 yards and 63 touchdowns with 16 interceptions. He also ran 302 times for 1,209 yards and another 16 touchdowns with his legs.
Over last offseason, Drake Maye was the No. 3 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, the third quarterback taken off the board after USC’s Caleb Williams at No. 1 and LSU’s Jayden Daniels at No. 2.
Maye took over the starting role in New England five weeks ago and has since beaten the New York Jets and the Chicago Bears while losing to the Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Houston Texans in five starts.
In his most recent win on the road in Chicago, Maye had the opportunity to face off against the No. 1 overall pick, Caleb Williams.
Not only did the Patriots win, but Drake Maye outshined the quarterback drafted before him. Maye threw for 184 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He had a 67.5 QBR and a 79.4 QB rating. Maye also had 24 yards rushing.
Williams ended the game with 120 yards yards through the air and 15 yards rushing. He has zero touchdowns or any interceptions. However, his QBR was just 13.6 and his QB rating was 63.2, both well below Maye.
It remains to be seen how the season will end, but at this point, Maye can be considered the second-best rookie quarterback behind Washington’s Jayden Daniels.
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