In 2024, Drake Maye wasn't exactly given the tools to succeed by the New England Patriots.
Sure, the team invested in offensive players, using picks on receivers and linemen to hopefully give their quarterback a shot at success when he eventually saw the field, but in Year 1, none of those players really hit, with only Maye looking like a long-term star from the 2024 draft class.
So, with the 2025 NFL Draft rapidly approaching, Maye was handed one heck of a compliment from player-turned-ESPN analyst Ryan Clark, who demanded the Patriots give their quarterback the proper ingredients to cook this fall.
Related New England Patriots NewsArticle continues below
“The one thing the Patriots have done is they've identified the quarterback, and that's the hardest part about trying to win in this league. We lucked out with Tom Brady and now with Drake Maye. You made that pick third overall last year, and you got an absolute stud at the position. Do y'all know what Robert Kraft sounds like to me? He sounds like a man who ain't lost in two decades. As a matter of fact, he sounds like a man who dominated for two decades,” Ryan Clark declared.
“So now it's about how can we surround Drake Maye with the people who will make him his absolute best? We saw a ton of times last year this dude making lemonade out of tomatoes, so now that you add a Mack Hollins, you add a Stefon Diggs, get him another piece, get him some more protection, get him somebody explosive on the outside and I think the sky's the limit for this young man, especially the way the shored up some spots defensively as well.”
The rare rookie Pro Bowler who turned in some impressive numbers for a player who missed half of the season while Jacoby Brissett was under center. Maye's presence as the Patriots' starter moving forward does change the math in New England in a major way, with the team able to spend mightily in free agency, thanks to their top player's meager cap hit. With that advantage now locked in, the Pats simply have to identify the right players and build a successful roster around the UNC quarterback.