NFL Draft Profile: Drake Maye

Why this 2024 prospect reminds me of a former top three draft selection

Games Evaluated

2022 vs Notre Dame, 2022 vs Clemson (CCG), 2022 vs Oregon, 2023 vs South Carolina, 2023 vs App State, 2023 vs Miami, 2023 vs Virginia, 2023 vs Clemson

2023 Stats

63.3% Completion %, 3,608 Passing Yards, 24 Passing Touchdowns, 9 INTs

112 Carries, 449 Rushing Yards, 9 Rushing Touchdowns

What I Liked

The most obvious thing that stands out when watching Drake Maye is the arm talent. He clearly has the capability to make any and every throw on the field. I think he is a really great player in structure and can work within the confines of an offense. This is exemplified in the many occasions he used his eyes to look off a linebacker or safety and throw a strike to the open man. When plays break down however, that’s when he becomes a fun watch.

Drake Maye has a Josh Allen quality on the move. He is not quite the physical runner that Allen is, but can hurt you with his legs if given the opportunity. He also can extend plays behind the line of scrimmage, break tackles and get very creative in the scramble drill. In watching him I’ve seen a left handed pass, a two handed chest pass, and a touchdown thrown while being wrapped up by a defensive lineman. Maye has the improvisation skills that teams are always looking for at the next level, along with the ability to operate in the pocket.

What I Didn’t

Having Josh Allen qualities can also be a bad thing. There were a lot of instances in 2023 where Maye got into a hero ball mindset and tried to force some throws that just were not there. Although he has the physical tools to make a spectacular play, he tries to do it a little too often for my liking. A lot of times instead of just throwing the ball away, Maye would put the ball in harms way by throwing downfield into traffic while being sacked. I don’t hate a guy trying to make plays, however I do wish he would just be a little more careful with the ball.

Ball placement is another area I would like to see Maye improve. Maybe I am just being picky, however there were times where big gains and potential touchdowns were taken off the board because a throw was too high or did not lead the receiver enough. One play was a corner route with a deep safety on that side of the field. Instead of leading the receiver towards the sideline away from the defender, Maye pushed it further up field towards the safety and it was broken up. Cleaning some of that up would do wonders for him at the next level.

Player Comp

Sam Darnold - I don’t mean this in a bad way whatsoever, I liked Darnold as a prospect and I actually still really like Darnold now! However when I watch them and even look at their overall situations, I see a lot of similarities. Both guys came into their final college season with a lot of hype, and didn’t necessarily live up to it. Both guys could get a little reckless with the football, which was reflected in Sam’s high turnover rate his sophomore season. Maye didn’t have as many interceptions, however as we said earlier there is room to grow with his ball placement. And then the obvious size comparison (Darnold 6’4”, 220 lbs / Maye 6’5” 220 lbs).

The reason I lean more into a Darnold comp than maybe an Allen or a Justin Herbert is because I think all QBs are a little dependent on their landing spot. But for Maye especially, if he could land somewhere with a creative play-caller and some overall organizational infrastructure I think he could really thrive. Darnold never had either of those things, and he failed because of it. If Maye goes somewhere that completely relies on him to put on the cape and save the day every third down, I think he could potentially struggle at the next level. However if he goes to a capable offensive coordinator that can keep him in structure, he could be a really special player.

Overall Grade

Top 5 Pick - Would be the clear 1.01 in a lot of other drafts.

Best Fits

Washington Commanders - I have a weird amount of faith in the Commanders’ new owner Josh Harris. Maybe it was the drunk handshake with Joe Buck during the preseason, maybe it’s just the fact that he’s not Dan Snyder - but I trust that Washington is going to hire the right coach for some reason. Putting a good play-caller, Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson and Brian Robinson Jr. around Drake Maye would give Washington their highest hopes since the RG3 days.

New York Giants - If you think that your QB could be Josh Allen (a common comp for Maye), Brian Daboll is the first person you’d call to coach that QB. Daboll’s ability to mold that 6’6” mountain of clay into a top three QB would give Giants brass all the confidence in the world that he could repeat that process with Maye. They wouldn’t have the weapons around Maye to start (although I really like Jaylin Hyatt), however neither did the Bills Allen’s first couple years. Trade for the next disgruntled wide receiver, and then it’s go time.