Jerod Mayo Hints Drake Maye Isn't Great Fit for Patriots

As the free agency craze has come to an end and the New England Patriots have generally had a quiet offseason, the attention turns to the 2024 NFL Draft. With the third-overall pick in the draft, the Patriots are one of the teams to watch as they try to find their next franchise quarterback.

The endless speculation will continue for the next month about whether the pick is available, if the Pats should trade it, or who they should select if they hold onto it.

Considering how early in the rebuild New England is, finding a franchise QB has to be the priority. Everything else feels like a smoke screen right now.

However, the Patriots will not actually have their pick of the litter when it comes to quarterbacks in the draft. In fact, the two teams drafting above them are also selecting signal-callers, leaving New England with a difficult decision at No. 3.

While the consensus was that the Patriots would select whoever was left between Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels, head coach Jerod Mayo's most recent statement raised some eyebrows.

Highlighting his concern about Drake Maye's floor, Mayo said the fact that the North Carolina star didn't play as much football as some of the other prospects is something to consider.

"But you also have to look at how low is the floor. I would say a guy like Drake Maye – he has a lot of room to grow. He’s a young guy. Honestly, he hasn’t played football nearly as much as these other guys."

- Jerod Mayo on Drake Maye

This is a fascinating statement about Maye, who is currently the favorite on FanDuel Sportsbook (-150) to be drafted No. 3 by the Patriots. Assuming Jayden Daniels is off the board by then, one has to wonder whether Mayo's concerns open the door for a surprise J.J. McCarthy pick for New England.

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