Pats veteran gives strong endorsement of rookie QB Drake Maye originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Drake Maye has had his ups and downs early in Patriots training camp. But his teammates see plenty of potential in New England‘s first-round pick.
The rookie quarterback struggled at times during the Patriots’ first padded practice Monday and appeared to underwhelm again Tuesday at Gillette Stadium. After Tuesday’s session, however, veteran wide receiver Jalen Reagor gave Maye a vote of confidence.
“He’s got a lot of arm talent,” Reagor said of Maye. “Whenever he does get more opportunities, he’s gonna show you guys how great he really is. There’s a reason he went where he went, and I’m happy to have him here.”
The Patriots took Maye with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the highest they’ve selected a quarterback since Drew Bledsoe in 1993. So, the UNC product understandably has high expectations to help accelerate New England’s rebuild in the post-Tom Brady era.
Head coach Jerod Mayo and his staff aren’t rushing the rookie, though; veteran QB Jacoby Brissett has been the consistent QB1 throughout camp and likely will retain that title unless Maye blows the team away in training camp or the preseason.
While that moment clearly hasn’t come yet for Maye, Reagor has been impressed with the 21-year-old’s development to date.
“He’s a student, for sure,” Reagor said of Maye. “He likes to learn. He’s always talking to Jacoby (and) learning, and Jacoby is a great vet to learn from.
“He’s always talking to AVP (offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt) and talking to us of course, to see how we like things and certain routes where we want the ball and stuff like that. So he’s a student of the game, for sure.”
Reagor was teammates with Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia and Kirk Cousins in Minnesota, so he knows what good quarterback play looks like. Maye likely will take time to develop into a viable NFL starter, but Reagor clearly believes in the young quarterback’s long-term upside as May endures the trials and tribulations of his first training camp.