While Caleb Williams comfortably sits at the top as the projected No. 1 pick, there is an intense battle for the next 2 spots with serious contenders like 2023 Heisman winner Jayden Daniels, standout Tar Heels star Drake Maye, and CFP National champ JJ McCarthy. We have already gone through more than a few mock drafts, and in them, the name Maye has been consistently brought up as the third overall pick. Sportscaster Rich Eisen is among those people, who also see the 2022 ACC Player of the Year getting picked at three.
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On a recent episode of The Rich Eisen Show, Michigan Alum Rich Eisen recently predicted that Drake would get picked at three, but the question of who will pick him still remains wide open. While there is a possibility for the Patriots, who currently hold the third overall pick to trade down, Eisen believes that the team could very likely make a move on Maye. He feels that Robert Kraft would want to cherish the opportunity of having a young QB around again, around whom they can build a perfect system. Kraft and his Patriots did exactly the same around Tom Brady, winning a total of six Super Bowls and tying the league’s most.
“I think it’s Drake Maye more likely right now,” Eisen said. “I think that’s the guy more likely to be taken third overall in the draft. I think Bob Kraft has put his thumb on the scale of just like ‘I want a young quarterback around here’. He knows the way this works. For 20 years, he had the best of them. He knows what’s it like to be behind the velvet ropes of the quarterback club and I think he misses it — badly.”
The upcoming draft could turn out to be the best opportunity for Kraft to relive the Tom Brady era and possibly emerge from that pit they’ve found themselves in over the past few seasons. But it would mean for the club to draft a young prospect instead of a free agent veteran.
“In terms of getting it back, signing a free agent QB for $20-$30 million — ain’t it,” Eisen added. “Just do what everyone else — it’s behind the Velvet Ropes of the quarterback club. Draft the right one — surround him with the right system, and the right people and coaching staff, and off you go.”
While Eisen believes in the possibility of the Patriots landing Maye as the 3rd overall pick, many disagree with that sentiment — and one such person is Colin Cowherd, whose draft predictions are somewhat different from those of the die-hard Jets fan.
Colin Cowherd Stands At Odds With Rich Eisen on Drake Maye
With the 2024 NFL Draft just around the corner, everyone is keen to know where the top QB prospects in the draft will land. Therefore, many analysts and scouts have given their predictions on the draft positions. While USC Heisman winner Caleb Williams is the consensus number one, analysts have differed on who will occupy other positions. While Eisen said Drake Maye would get picked at three, Colin Cowherd puts him at 2nd overall in his mock draft predictions.
As per Fox Sports, Colin believes the Commanders, who had one of the worst O-Lines last season, would need a big, calm, and tough QB who can tolerate playing in the tough weather conditions in Washington. He sees Maye as someone with all these qualities and speculates that the former Tarr Heels quarterback would be swept off his feet at two. He even likened Maye to Chargers QB Justin Herbert.
It will be interesting to see who ends up in the top three because even though Drake has remained the projected second pick for months, the last couple of weeks have seen the stock of Daniels and McCarthy rise even further.
