New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is fresh off an MVP-caliber, Super Bowl-bound campaign, and next season might be even better for him.
In just his second NFL season, the UNC alum threw for 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns, eight interceptions, and led the league with a 72% completion. He finished second in MVP voting behind Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and established himself as one of the top young quarterbacks in the league.
It will be hard for Maye to repeat the success he had last year, mainly because he has now squarely put himself on the map (it will be much easier for teams to adjust to him now), and New England has a more difficult schedule next season. But he has everything he needs to make a third-year leap, and that should terrify the rest of the league.
Drake Maye has a legitimate offense around him
For the first time in a long time, the Patriots actually have a legitimate offense. And given how poorly the Mac Jones-Bailey Zappe "Era" went (a lot of it was on them specifically, but it's not like Bill Belichick did them any favors with his roster-building and personnel decisions -- Matt Patricia is still being memed in New England because of his season as an offensive coordinator), it's especially encouraging pertaining to Maye's development.
Over the last two offseasons, the Patriots bolstered their offensive line (Will Campbell, Jared Wilson, Morgan Moses, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Caleb Lomu) and added some real weapons in the receiving corps and backfield (Stefon Diggs, A.J. Brown, TreVeyon Henderson).
Pair all of that with the natural developments of Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas, and Rhamondre Stevenson (and the presence of Hunter Henry, who has quietly become one of the best tight ends in franchise history), and there are reasons to be excited about what the team is doing and where things can go from here.
It's clear that New England views Maye as its guy for the long haul, and rightfully so. He is immensely talented and constantly improved on a weekly basis last year. Even if he's far from a perfect quarterback (still turnover-prone, isn't great at making quick decisions, holds onto the ball for too long, can get flustered), he has what it takes to be one of the top quarterbacks in the league for years to come.
And if last season was just the beginning, then there is no telling what Maye's ceiling looks like.
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