The 2024 NFL Draft class was all about the quarterbacks, and six of them were selected in the top 12 picks.
Caleb Williams (No. 1, Bears), Jayden Daniels (No. 2, Commanders), Drake Maye (No. 3, Patriots), Michael Penix Jr. (No. 8, Falcons), J.J. McCarthy (No. 10, Vikings) and Bo Nix (No. 12, Broncos) were taken in the first round. McCarthy won't play this season due to a knee injury, and Penix has mostly been a backup to this point. But the other four all have shown signs of their exciting potential in a starting role. Daniels was even a legit MVP candidate at one point earlier in the season.
But which of these five quarterbacks is most likely to be the best of the bunch going forward?
Former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky thinks it's Maye.
"Projecting who I think will be the best going forward -- I think Drake Maye has the chance to be the most jaw-dropping, kind of the stuff we saw from Josh Allen and Matthew Stafford this past Sunday type of stuff. The stuff we've seen from Joe Burrow," Orlovsky said Tuesday on The Pat McAfee Show.
"A little bit of that is gonna be dependent on what they do around him. I was the person who said Drake Maye shouldn't play meaningful games this year because that offensive line is not good. I was very cautious of them putting him out there when they did."
The Patriots must do a much better job surrounding Maye with quality pass-catchers and a dependable offensive line. New England doesn't have a true No. 1 wideout and the offensive line has been a mess all season in terms of pass protection, injuries and penalties.
Despite those challenges, Maye has still completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 1,696 yards with 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He's also made a tremendous impact with his legs, tallying 345 yards (9.1 per carry) and a touchdown on the ground.
What specific aspects of Maye's skill set have impressed Orlovsky the most?
"He's been unbelievable," Orlovsky said. "I think the stuff I've been floored with is a lot of things that were unknowns of his game in North Carolina, the ways he would get through progressions, or could he work the middle of the field a ton, reading full-read throws, meaning starting from the right and going to the left. He didn't do that at UNC, it was so RPO-centric, so we didn't know (if he could do it).
"And then the mechanics have gotten so much cleaner, and just making different types of throws. Driving it, floating it, sometimes pinning it on a guy's back shoulder. He didn't do that a ton at UNC. I think he has the chance to be an unbelievable star."
The Patriots' season would be a colossal failure if not for Maye's positive development. None of their 2024 draft picks (with the exception of Maye) have met expectations, and none of the free agents added in the offseason have made a meaningful impact on a consistent basis. The coaching on both sides of the ball has been lackluster at times, and the abundance of penalties and other self-inflicted mistakes are evidence of a lack of discipline.
The upcoming offseason is of enormous importance for the Patriots. They have a potential superstar in Maye, but he'll never reach his ceiling unless the team around him is significantly upgraded.