The New England Patriots are excited about the quarterback they drafted No. 3 overall in 2024, but some potential outcomes for Drake Maye — and the comparisons that accompany them — suggest more expectational caution may be needed.
John Kosko of Pro Football Focus, on Thursday, June 26, authored a piece exploring the ceilings and floors for all second-year quarterbacks in the NFL heading into the 2025 campaign.
In his section on Maye, Kosko described the New England QB’s best-case comparison as Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars — which is notable, given that Lawrence hasn’t met expectations since joining the NFL as the No. 1 overall pick in 2021. However, Kosko set the bar considerably lower when characterizing Maye’s floor with a comparison to former New York Giants No. 6 overall pick Daniel Jones.
While flashing some of his athleticism and playmaking abilities, Maye wasn’t able to showcase his big arm consistently. He notched just 14 big-time throws and 16 turnover-worthy plays, making his rookie season similar to Daniel Jones’ in their PFF grades and efficiency. Maye posted a 64.9 PFF passing grade, and Jones logged a 65.1 mark, while Maye averaged 6.7 yards per pass attempt and Jones averaged 6.6.
Obviously, Jones struggled to generate big-time throws over the past four years with the Giants. I don’t anticipate that being an issue for Maye, but Jones had a better big-time throw rate as a rookie. Maye’s athleticism and big arm give him a high-end ceiling like that of Trevor Lawrence, who I think has better play in his future.
New York cut Jones halfway into the 2024 campaign, sacrificing tens of millions of dollars just to get rid of him. Jones finished his career with the Giants with a record of 24-44-1 in the regular season and 1-1 in the postseason after one playoff appearance.
Jones threw for 14,582 yards, 70 touchdowns, and 47 interceptions during his time in New York, while rushing for 2,179 yards and 15 scores.
Jones caught on with the Vikings after his release from the Giants last year, though he never played a snap in Minnesota. He inked a one-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts this offseason and is reportedly leading an injured Anthony Richardson (shoulder) in a preseason battle for the starting QB job in Week 1.