New England Patriots' quarterback Drake Maye has a new coach and more weapons in 2025, and multiple NFL coaches and executives believe he can ascend very quickly.
NFL Coaches, Executives Believe Patriots' Drake Maye 'Can Ascend Pretty Quick' originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
New England Patriots' quarterback Drake Maye was thrown into a pretty rough situation in his rookie season. The 2024 third-overall pick was thrown into action five games into the season with a beat up offensive line and barely any weapons. That led to Maye being sacked 34 times.
This offseason, the Patriots brought in head coach Mike Vrabel, added plenty of offensive and defensive lineman, and got their quarterback some weapons to work with. Now, it's up to Maye and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to turn all the changes into a strong, developmental year for the young quarterback.
The Athletic's Mike Sando released his 2025 quarterback rankings this week compiled through evaluations from 50 NFL coaches and executives across the league. Maye made his debut on the list at No. 22, sitting in tier three.
"His team was so bad," an offensive coordinator said (h/t The Athletic). "Vince Lombardi couldn't have gotten that team any more wins than they got. Maye has promise. There is talent. There is ability. I think he looked very natural at the position."
As most top picks do, Maye has plenty of raw ability but did not have a lot of pieces around him in 2024. But, with his talent and character, another offensive coordinator thinks the young quarterback can find success soon if he continues to develop.
"The person and the leadership and the ability to run made him good as a rookie," another offensive coordinator said (h/t The Athletic). "He can ascend pretty quick if he can start to hit progressions."
#Patriots OC Josh McDaniels on Drake Maye being a safe runner:
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) August 11, 2025
“He had [421] yards rushing last year on no designed runs… the reality is those loose plays are hard to predict… his value to the team is when he’s healthy.”
Maye has worked on designed runs during training camp. pic.twitter.com/lp9hWlxsGO
Maye ranked third among second-year quarterbacks, behind Washington Commanders' Jayden Daniels and Denver Broncos' Bo Nix. Although, Maye earned five tier two votes compared to Nix's four, but the Broncos' quarterback only had four tier four votes compared to Maye's 11 votes.
Both Nix and Daniels led their respective teams to the playoffs in their rookie years, but they also walked into much better situations than Maye did in New England.
"Daniels and Nix went into a hell of a lot better situations than Drake did," an offensive coach said (h/t The Athletic). "(Maye) is a big athlete that has good vision, can push the ball up the field, he can run, I think he's coachable. Josh (McDaniels) does a good job of eliminating negative plays with a quarterback, so I think that will help him."
Not only does Maye have a new offensive coordinator with proven success in New England, but he also now has a No. 1 receiver in Stefon Diggs. Many around the NFL believe Maye could make a big jump in 2025, and if he does the Patriots' could be a dark horse playoff team in the AFC this season.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Football
