Patriots
Despite an awful record and so-so numbers from Maye, one writer puts him right there with Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels.
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Two years ago, the Patriots and Commanders both selected quarterbacks in the draft after finishing 4-13 during the 2023 season.
Drake Maye’s Patriots went 4-13 again in 2024, while Jayden Daniels’s Commanders made it to the NFC championship game, where they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Eagles.
‘However, despite New England’s poor record and so-so numbers (2,276 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, 10 interceptions), Patriots fans have just as much reason to be optimistic about Maye as Commanders fans do about Daniels,” ESPN’s Ben Solak wrote.
“Jayden Daniels had a historically productive rookie quarterback season,” Solak wrote. “The Commanders’ fan base and team brass should feel confident and inspired about the future of the position. However, I’m still as — if not more — impressed by how well Drake Maye played on that terrible Patriots offense last season.”
Daniels went 331-for-480 passing (69 percent) for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns against nine interceptions during his rookie season.
However, Maye faced a higher degree of difficulty, according to Solak. The Patriots’ offensive line was porous, none of the receivers topped 700 yards or three touchdowns, and the team fired its coach and offensive coordinator at the end of the season.
The 891 rushing yards that Daniels compiled were more than any Patriots running back had.
“Statistically, [Maye] didn’t hold a candle,” Solak wrote. “But degree of difficulty? Maye was playing a completely different sport.”
“I’ll put it this way and hope metropolitan D.C. doesn’t come for my head: Patriots fans should feel as confident and inspired about their future at quarterback as Commanders fans do right now.”
Maye showed some promising flashes during his rookie year and was selected as a Pro Bowl alternate.
He’ll work with a re-tooled offensive line this year. New England drafted offensive tackle Will Campbell No. 4 overall and signed Morgan Moses and Garrett Bradbury. Cole Strange, who missed most of last season, should be healthy. Mike Onwenu, who spent time playing both guard and tackle may be able to focus on one position.
Maye will also have Stefon Diggs to throw to this year. Diggs has posted 1,000 yards or more in six of the last seven seasons, with the exemption being last season when he tore his ACL eight games in.
The Patriots also added an experienced head-coach/offensive coordinator combo in Mike Vrabel and Josh McDaniels.
It appears that Maye will have more help in Year 2. He still has work to do if he wants to catch up to Daniels.
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