2024 NFL Draft: UNC QB Drake Maye Breakdown
It appears that Drake Maye will get drafted early. Most seem to think he’ll get taken with the 2nd or 3rd overall pick. In today’s NFL, it makes sense to take a chance on a quarterback in the Draft. Get it right, and you’ve got a stud on a rookie contract. Get it wrong, and at least you’re not screwed financially like you may have been in years past. So I can’t necessarily knock any team that decides to take Maye high in the Draft this year.
But boy are there some red flags to his game.
Yes, Maye has some really good physical skills. He’s 6’4,” has a strong arm, and has the athleticism to make plays out of nothing:
But there is very little precision or nuance to his game.
His ball placement is erratic. His instincts in the pocket are concerning. These two issues alone led to numerous big plays being left on the field last season.
Maye also doesn’t play with much timing and rhythm. You don’t see many anticipation throws. And his decision-making is questionable at times.
To be clear, improvement is always possible. Maye is just 21, so his evolution as a player is nowhere near done. But there are so many areas that need work.
I’ve heard many say that the same complaints about Maye being too raw were made about Josh Allen when he was coming out in 2018. “You don’t want to miss out on the next Josh Allen.”
The key difference here is that Allen is on another level physically than Maye, both as a thrower and a runner. The risk was worth it given Allen’s play-making ability. I don’t know that it is with Maye. His arm strength and athleticism, both of which can allow some quarterbacks to get away with a lack of precision, are good but not special.
That said, Maye’s deficiencies likely won’t lead to him dropping to the second round, similar to what happened with Will Levis in last year’s draft. Which is interesting, because based on their college tape, I’d have Levis definitively above Maye.
To be clear, I know Maye didn’t have the best weapons or offensive line. But my evaluation isn’t based on the players around Maye. It’s based on his traits. Let’s dive into this breakdown below so you can see some examples.