Patriots

‘He makes some big plays’: What Bill Belichick said of Patriots’ selection of Drake Maye

"Just a kid who can make all the throws. He just needs to be more consistent."

By Conor Roche

April 25, 2024

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Bill Belichick’s review of the first Patriots draft pick since his departure from the team was mostly positive, but he had his fair share of critiques.

The former Patriots head coach thought the team addressed a “top need” by selecting Drake Maye with the No. 3 overall pick, saying the UNC quarterback is “very talented” with “good size” on Pat McAfee’s 5th Annual Draft Spectacular. Belichick added that Maye also “runs well and [has a] good arm.”

“He makes some big plays like this,” Belichick said as a highlight play of Maye throwing a deep touchdown pass on a post in UNC’s loss to Clemson was shown on the screen. “This an amazing play, where he throws going backward, and puts the ball on the money. Those are highlight plays that you really like from Maye.”

But Belichick also showed some negative plays from Maye, noting that he “hasn’t played very much, he doesn’t have a lot of experience.”

“This is one where he just doesn’t finish the play. He’s got double coverage on the slot receiver, he’s got guys open on the inside and outside, and he throws it into double coverage,” Belichick said of one of Maye’s passes in the same game against Clemson. “He’s going to need some work in reading defenses, reading coverages. He’s quick to come off the receiver here.”

Belichick also critiqued Maye for holding the ball for too long in certain instances.

“That’s as open as they’re going to get in the NFL,” Belichick said of a play where Maye held the ball for too long before be pressured. “You’ve got to deliver it in there. He’s kind of quick to bail out of the pocket. He’s going to have to hang in there a little longer and find those receivers.”

Maye’s footwork has been routinely criticized by scouts throughout the draft process. Belichick agreed with that assessment, pointing out a play where Maye showed poor footwork on a pass during a segment where he showed some of the weaknesses of the top quarterback prospects.

“His footwork needs a lot of work,” Belichick said as he showed another play of Maye from UNC’s loss to Clemson this past season. “You can see here his feet are all over the place. Never resets his feet, never really gets set to throw. Gets stripped sacked. Too much hopping around.”

Still, Belichick seems to see the upside in Maye, saying he understands why he’s been compared to a quarterback who’s done major damage against the Patriots over the last few years. But he wants people to be cautious with those comparisons, too.

“Drake compares himself a lot to Josh Allen, he’s been doing that for quite a while. We’ll see about that,” Belichick said. “I think there are some similarities in terms of the size and athleticism. Josh Allen’s a pretty special player.”

Belichick also recognized that Maye needs some time, noting that he’s the second-youngest of the top quarterback prospects.

“Just a kid who can make all the throws. He just needs to be more consistent,” Belichick said.

“Of all the quarterbacks, he was the lowest-rated pocket thrower, but you can see he can definitely do it,” Belichick added.

Ahead of the draft, Belichick showed his top 42 prospects in this year’s class. He appeared to have Maye ranked as the fifth overall prospect, putting him behind two other quarterbacks, Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels.