ESPN analyst has Drake Maye warning for Patriots

Many in the NFL community expect the New England Patriots will spend the No. 3 pick of the 2024 draft to acquire North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye. 

During a recent appearance on "The Rich Eisen Show," retired signal-caller and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky warned that the Patriots should be ready to sit Maye as a rookie. 

"If New England wants to take Drake Maye at [third overall], they better have a free agent [quarterback] already signed," Orlovsky said, as shared by Hayden Bird of Boston.com. "Drake Maye has to be on the Jordan Love-type of timeline. Drake Maye has to sit." 

Love, of course, entered the NFL when the Green Bay Packers made him a first-round draft pick back in 2020. He spent the bulk of his first three pro seasons serving as a backup behind future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers but then guided the 2023 Packers to a playoff berth and a road postseason victory. 

"If you go into the NFL and, mechanically, your feet are sloppy — and you don’t fix it — you’re going to struggle," Orlovsky said about Maye. "You might get away with it here and there, but you’re going to struggle. I’ve watched Josh Allen fix it. I’ve watched Patrick Mahomes do it. I’ve watched Lamar Jackson do it. They all have to." 

For a piece published on Tuesday, Ted Nguyen of The Athletic mentioned that "Maye’s production took a hit this year while his footwork and decision-making got sloppy as the season progressed." Nguyen also said that Maye’s footwork is "a relatively easy fix compared to other flaws."

As recently as Monday, it was reported that the Patriots could target Jacoby Brissett of the Washington Commanders or Joe Flacco of the Cleveland Browns in free agency. Both Brissett and Flacco previously played under New England offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, and either would be a bridge quarterback and a mentor for a first-year pro such as Maye.

"If New England takes [Maye] and expects him to play right away, that gives me agita thinking about it, because I want that young man to sit for a year or two, refine that lower half, and then unleash like Green Bay did," Orlovsky added. 

Interestingly, Ryan Wilson and Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports both believe the Patriots could pass on Maye. In a mock draft posted on Monday, Wilson predicted that Maye will be the fourth quarterback drafted this spring.