Worrying Drake Maye Report Emerges From Patriots Training Camp

The New England Patriots fanbase was filled with hope for the first time in a long time when the franchise drafted quarterback Drake Maye third overall in April. After the Mac Jones/Bailey Zappe tandem was a bust, Maye appeared to be the answer to the prayers of many frustrated Pats supporters.

Although Maye was a top-three selection this year, his being New England's starting QB come Week 1 was never guaranteed. That's why the Patriots also signed free-agent gunslinger Jacoby Brissett earlier this offseason before using a sixth-round pick on former Tennessee product Joe Milton III.

But while struggles for rookie NFL players can be the norm, nobody expected Maye to struggle as much as he has during his first camp.

Patriots Training Camp: Drake Maye Continues to Struggle, Be Outplayed by Joe Milton

According to Boston Globe's Ben Volin, Maye's first few days at training camp have been nothing short of a disaster. "Drake Maye continues to underwhelm," Volin wrote on Tuesday evening. "[He's] running second on the depth chart and getting a ton of work, but he hasn’t made many noteworthy throws."

Volin mentions how Maye failed to meet expectations during a series of red-zone drills. He threw terrible passes to JuJu Smith-Schuster, Javon Baker, and Mitchell Wilcox, resulting in the offense being forced to do pushups. His teammates likely weren't thrilled by that.

What's even worse for Maye's outlook is that he's been outplayed by Milton throughout the first six practices. Volin notes that the ex-Volunteer appears to have the best combination of size, strength, and athleticism among the Patriots' QBs and that casual observers would have difficulty figuring out which rookie gunslinger was the third overall pick thtree months ago.

"[Joe] Milton wows the crowd every day with his tantalizing arm and standing backflips."

- Ben Volin on Joe Milton

On one hand, it's terrific that Milton is balling out at practice. He showed a ton of potential during his 2023 collegiate campaign, so the fact that he's brought that momentum into training camp and it's paying off is certainly a positive thing.

On the other hand, Milton continuing to impress isn't necessarily a good thing for Maye. The former UNC QB was taken third overall for a reason and it won't be a good look going forward if he can't outplay a sixth-round selection, regardless of how much Milton has exceeded expectations.

Fortunately, there are several remaining training camp practices and the preseason slate for Maye to turn things around. It's important to remember that the ex-Tar Heel is 29 months younger than Milton, meaning the former — theoretically — has more time to improve.

At the end of the day, it's possible that Maye needs more seasoning before he's ready to take over as the starting QB. Let's not forget that Jordan Love rode the Green Bay Packers bench for the better part of three seasons before finally becoming the starter last season, which ended up being a great call given that he played at an MVP level at times.

Unfortunately, a poor training camp showing has soured some oddsmakers on the rookie's outlook this fall. After exiting the 2024 draft with the sixth-best odds (+1300) to be named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, Maye's odds have plummeted to +2500 (8th) as of July 31.

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