Bill Belichick may not be physically present in the New England Patriots’ draft room right now, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t shared his thoughts on their first-round pick, Drake Maye from North Carolina. During an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” special covering this year’s NFL Draft, Belichick seemed somewhat unconvinced about the selection and even took a subtle jab at Maye’s comparisons to Josh Allen. The former Tar Heel star is frequently touted by Maye as having similar qualities, but in response, Belichick pointed out that Buffalo Bills standout quarterback Allen was “a pretty special player now.”
Belichick acknowledged the Patriots had a pressing need at QB and highlighted some of Maye’s strengths – he has good size, can run well, and boasts an impressive arm. However, Belichick also admitted that with relatively little playing experience under his belt so far, Maye will require further development in reading defenses and coverages. “He’s gonna need some work,” the coach remarked.
Maye enters New England as a fresh face on offense for head coach Matt Patricia’s team, including new coordinator Alex Van Pelt. In his two seasons at UNC, Maye threw an impressive 7,929 yards with a completion rate of over 64%. He tossed for 62 touchdown passes and added another sixteen rushing scores while playing in the ACC conference. Last year alone saw him pass for more than three thousand six hundred eighty yards and twenty-four TDs – enough to earn All-ACC first team honors in 2022, followed by second-team recognition last season.
Fox News’ Ryan Morik and The Associated Press contributed reporting to this article.
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