The New England Patriots found their quarterback of the future last month in North Carolina's Drake Maye, whom they selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. In an offseason that has seen more change come to New England than at any time in recent memory, the first pick of a new era was obviously an important one. The man mostly tasked with making that pick was Patriots de facto (at least at the moment) general manager Eliot Wolf, who ran the scouting and draft process for the team.
During an appearance on ESPN's "The Adam Schefter Podcast," Wolf explained what led the team to identify Maye as its guy.
"I think just the talent and the person," Wolf said about Maye. "He's a great person. He's tough. He's gritty. He was productive. He elevated those around him. And then, you know, he's 6-4.5, 225 pounds. He can really throw the ball. He's athletic. I think a combination of those things, you know, we think there's a lot to develop there with him whenever that time may be."
The "whenever that time may be" reference is an interesting one, as it seems to indicate that Maye not start right away. Given that New England signed Jacoby Brissett this offseason and that the supporting cast around Maye is still relatively lacking, it wouldn't be surprising if he spent at least part of the season operating as Brissett's backup.
Still, a plan to potentially bring him along slowly doesn't detract from the confidence the team has in Maye, nor the things that attracted the team to him in the first place or his ability to become a leader in the locker room, Wolf said.
"His character, his passion for football, his drive. He's an all-around good person. He's really tough. He's all football, comes from a good family," Wolf said. "I could go on and on about this guy ... He's a younger person. And ... as he assimilates into our locker room I think our players will, you know, will rally around him."
Wolf also noted that the Patriots didn't really give a lot of consideration to trading the pick, despite the pre-draft rumors they were interested in doing so. Wolf said the Pats were "not close" to dealing the selection.
Given how long the Patriots were led by Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, and how disappointing the post-Brady years of the Belichick era were, bringing in a prospect like Maye likely feels like a breath of fresh air. It remains to be seen how this era led by Maye, Wolf and new head coach Jerod Mayo turns out. It will be a long process to get the team where it wants to go, but
