Drake Maye had an impressive rookie season for the New England Patriots. The number three overall pick started only 12 games, yet he tossed a respectable 15 touchdowns while throwing for over 2,000 yards. He also added another 2 touchdowns and 421 yards on the ground, showcasing his dual-threat ability and stout rushing skills for his position.
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Naturally, watching the way that Maye ran, passed, and made decisions, comparisons came hard and fast. And the biggest name fans linked him to was the MVP Josh Allen. Which was a lofty comparison, but not a crazy one.
However, when Maye was recently asked about the comparisons to Allen, he shut them down quickly.
“I think the comparisons… [Well,] I got a lot of work to do. With even being in the same stratosphere or atmosphere as Josh,” Maye started on Bussin’ With the Boys.
The Patriots QB opted to stay humble, which is smart given that the Buffalo Bills are in their division. Maye will have to face Allen twice next season, so it’s wise not to make any careless comments the MVP could use as fuel. After all, they’re already at a roster disadvantage against the five-time AFC East division winners.
In the end, Maye just wants to be himself when he’s out there playing.
“I’m just trying to be myself. And if, hey, some people think that, I mean, that’s a lot of respect for him, but I got a lot of work to do for that,” Maye said.
It just goes to show how respectful and modest the UNC product is. Many fans questioned his ability coming into the league because he played in the ACC, but he’s shown at every step that he has the potential to be a good, if not great, QB one day. Additionally, he sounds well-trained for the media and like he has his head on straight.
However, that doesn’t mean Maye will always defer to Allen in the realm of sports. When asked if he’d bet on himself or Allen in a game of 1-on-1 pickup basketball, he ditched the humble act.
“I’ll take myself in hoops, for sure,” Maye stated.
In case you didn’t know, the Patriots QB was quite the basketball player in high school. He averaged almost 14 points per game in his sophomore season, then increased that to 16 per game as a junior. But he didn’t play in his senior year due to early enrollment at UNC.
This led the show’s host, Taylor Lewan, to share a story about Maye from back when he was drafted.
“So, Drake, it was in Detroit, right? The day before he gets drafted, first round pick by the New England Patriots, he’s at an indoor gym in a YMCA playing pickup basketball with a bunch of gen pop. Just trying to get some work in,” Lewan shared.
It’s probably not the smartest thing for a top pick to be doing the day before the Draft. He could’ve gotten seriously injured, and teams might not have wanted to pick him. But he risked it to calm his nerves ahead of D-Day.
All in all, we’re definitely not going to say Maye is anywhere close to Allen as a player yet. However, the skill sets and athleticism are certainly comparable. At the same time, though, this is the direction the NFL has been heading in for a while now. Dual-threat, mobile QBs are highly sought after compared to traditional pocket passers. Ultimately, Maye is simply fitting into a trend we’ve seen develop in recent seasons.
