The New England Patriots are ushering in a new era now that they have a new cornerstone quarterback at the helm. The Pats used their No. 3 overall pick in the draft to scoop up North Carolina standout Drake Maye, who is widely considered one of the top quarterbacks of his class.
There’s little doubt that Maye won’t find ultimate success in the pros, but it appears that the Patriots have done this young man a disservice by not surrounding him with the necessary weapons he needs to reach his true potential.
New England Patriots’ Drake Maye Problem
In a recent article published by Bleacher Report, NFL analyst Alex Ballentine explains why he believes the Patriots are facing a major dilemma on the Maye front. It’s not that they drafted the wrong quarterback, but it appears that they have failed to build a formidable offense around their new star QB:
“The more concerning problem with their rebuilding approach is that they drafted Drake Maye without the surrounding talent for him to succeed. He was the top quarterback on our big board, but the Patriots have a dearth of proven production at two of the most important positions for a signal-caller.
“New England could be starting Chukwuma Okorafor at left tackle. He couldn’t hold on to the right tackle job with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season and only signed a one-year, $4 million contract in free agency.
“The receiving corps might be the worst in the league. Javon Baker and Ja’Lynn Polk are promising rookies from a loaded class, but Kendrick Bourne and DeMario Douglas are the most accomplished weapons,” Ballentine wrote.
That’s tough to hear, but the truth of the matter is that this is the harsh reality the Patriots are facing. As such, it would not be a huge shock if Maye ends up struggling in his debut campaign — and it probably won’t even be his fault.
