North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye heads into the 2023 college football season as one of the best players returning and a legit Heisman contender.
After putting together an impressive first year as a starter in 2022, Maye is the leader of North Carolina’s offense and is looking to build on that campaign from a year ago. He’s also considered one of the top prospects for the 2024 NFL draft as many experts have him as a top 5 selection.
And that’s the case for ESPN analyst Jordan Reid.
The draft analyst released his first mock for the 2024 NFL draft and he has Maye going in the top 5 and at No. 3 overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
The Buccaneers’ top two options under center are Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask, so there’s a clear need. Maye (6-foot-4, 220 pounds) showed promise during his first year as a starter, winning ACC Rookie and Offensive Player of the Year honors.
He is an extraordinarily accurate deep passer, completing 63 passes thrown 20-plus air yards last year. Scouts want to see a stronger finish this year — Maye closed his sophomore campaign with 6 total touchdowns, 4 interceptions and 14 sacks in four consecutive losses — but he has clear next-level starter tools. His combination of deep-ball touch and mobility makes him someone the Bucs could build around.
Maye makes a lot of sense for the Buccaneers who have a need at quarterback with Tom Brady retiring. Even if Trask or Mayfield have a nice year, the chance to take a talent like Maye would be hard to pass up.
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