Film Session: Drake Maye's Rookie Season

All things considered, Drake Maye had a good rookie season. The biggest takeaway is that he looks like an NFL QB. He played with decent timing, showed he can orchestrate the offense, and of course displayed the ability to make plays outside of structure. The most encouraging thing for the Patriots should be that he showed improvement in some areas that were glaring issues in college.

Below, I’ll show you roughly 50 plays from his rookie season (good and bad) as a part of the new “Film Room” section of our Substack.

Better Timing in the Short Passing Game Than in College

Maye didn’t play with great timing and rhythm in college, but I thought he showed some drastic improvement in this area in the NFL.

Watch him get the ball out in rhythm here. He hit his back foot, saw the underneath coverage move towards the flat, and the ball was out:

Great throw.

Same thing here. Shotgun, 3-step, ball out for a completion in the coverage void and yards after the catch:

Take what the defense is giving you. You’ll never go broke taking a profit, and playing with good timing allows that to happen:

Much of Maye’s improved timing came from the play-calling and route concepts. I know offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt was fired, but he did a great job of getting Maye to play quicker. I’m sure a part of that was making it a point of emphasis for Maye. But much of it was the play-calling.

The Patriots were hell-bent on getting the ball out of Maye’s hands with quick, short throws. This was the right approach given the O-line situation and the need to get Maye playing that way.

In fact, according to PFF, Maye was 14th in the NFL in percentage of throws behind the line of scrimmage, 6th in percentage of throws between 0-9 yards from the line of scrimmage, 35th on throws 10-19 yards, and 34th on throws 20 yards or more.

Intermediate-Level Throws and Reliable Concepts

While Maye’s timing was much better on shorter throws, he did show some ability to play in rhythm on throws at the intermediate level:

There were clearly some concepts that Maye felt extremely comfortable throwing, and Van Pelt went back to them as often as he could.

The below concept was a spin-dig route combination to the bottom of the screen. Watch Maye plant his foot and deliver these throws with confidence:

What I love about these two throws is how Maye initially held the only defender who could take the play away. The spin-dig puts the underneath defender nearest to the concept in conflict. He can’t be right. It’s the Mike linebacker on both plays that the quarterback has to hold. Maye did so comfortably before delivering two strikes above.

Here was another route concept Maye looked comfortable reading and throwing:

Saw that one multiple times throughout the season.

Here’s one more example of good timing at the intermediate level. The Colts were playing cover-1. Maye read it, targeted the best matchup, noticed the defender’s back to him, and put this ball into a great spot:

Maye Looks Like He Belongs

I kept thinking this to myself as I watched Maye’s film. Despite whatever weaknesses he has, it was clear that he has enough to orchestrate an NFL offense effectively.

His pocket presence and ability to hang in the pocket still need work, but he was much-improved in this area:

I didn’t see many plays like that in college.

Below, he did a great job responding to the blitz and using his physical talent to get the ball out on a throw across his body despite free rushers bearing down on him:

Again, that was a sack or worse when he was at UNC.