Josh McDaniels
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The New England Patriots can draft a "phenomenal" quarterback who fits Josh McDaniels' offense.
The quarterback room for the New England Patriots is going to be all about Drake Maye for the next decade, but no franchise in the NFL knows more about the value of using a late-round draft pick at football’s most important position.
It worked when Tom Brady went from pick 199 in 2000 to arguably the greatest to ever play QB in the pro game. Brady produced his best football for offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, and the play-caller’s philosophy fits the traits of an unheralded signal-caller in the 2026 NFL draft.
That’s according to ESPN’s Jordan Reid, who told his colleague Mike Reiss why Luke Altmyer fits the Pats. Reid explained Altmyer is “very accurate. He’s also very decisive and that’s what I love. Josh [McDaniels], in that offense, he wants someone that is in rhythm. I have Altmyer in the fifth/sixth round range.”
Using a fifth- or a sixth-round selection on a young passer with upside makes sense for the Patriots. Particularly after the team unexpectedly ditched veteran backup Joshua Dobbs during free agency, leaving only undrafted Tommy DeVito as Maye’s likely deputy.
Luke Altmyer Should Be on Patriots’ Radar
Altmyer’s credentials also extend to him being “phenomenal at the Senior Bowl, the best passer there,” according to Reid. The latter noted how former Illinois standout Altmyer “has experience from under center and can play from shotgun as well. I love the mobility factor with him. He has a lot of those traits that we see from longtime backups — he’s a bit undersized (6-foot-2), but he has enough arm strength to go downfield with the ball.”
Mobility and the versatility to take the ball from center or at a remove from the line of scrimmage are qualities Maye added to McDaniels’ offense. Having a backup with a similar playing style would mean there’d be a smaller and smoother transition if the Pats had to fare without Maye and hand the reins to his backup.
At the very least, Altmyer would provide DeVito with strong competition for the QB2 role. His prolific college career, that included back-to-back seasons throwing 22 touchdown passes, per Sports Reference, forms a solid track record to convince McDaniels and quarterback coach Ashton Grant Altmyer is worth developing.
It would be a similar dynamic to when then-head coach Bill Belichick put rookie Brady into the mix behind $103 million starter Drew Bledsoe. Fate forced the switch from Bledsoe to Brady, but McDaniels will focus on ensuring Maye only strengthens his position atop this depth chart.
Josh McDaniels Key to Drake Maye’s Next Step
Maye needs to bounce back after a lacklustre showing in Super Bowl LX. He appeared confused and unnerved by the Seattle Seahawks and the league’s best defense, while McDaniels’ surprisingly pass-heavy game-plan hardly made Maye’s task any easier.
McDaniels could have mixed in the run more often, but Maye still needs to fix some bad habits. Notably, learning how to progress through his reads quicker if his primary target is covered.
The Patriots know they have something special at quarterback, but Maye still has only 33 starts to his credit, so there’s significant room for improvement. It’ll be on McDaniels to prove he can generate and safeguard that improvement, the way he often did for Brady.
Putting some credible depth and competition behind Maye can only help motivate further progress.