Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye is a project, and although the early indications are that he’s taking well to coaching in New England, he’s unlikely to be QB1 for the Patriots in Week One.
Jacoby Brissett is a -300 favorite to be the Patriots’ Week One starter. Maye is a +220 underdog, via DraftKings.com.
Still, Maye’s improvement from the start of rookie minicamp in May to the end of offseason practices a month later was noticeable, according to Tom Curran of NBCSportsBoston.com. Maye’s footwork, timing and accuracy all got better as he worked with the Patriots’ coaching staff.
The most likely scenario, according to Curran, is that Brissett starts most of the season but the Patriots turn the offense over to Maye some time around Week 13, giving him a few games as a rookie to show what he can do before focusing on 2025 as the season when they expect to see him prove he’s ready to start.
The Patriots took Maye with the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, showing a lot of faith in his ability to develop into a franchise quarterback. But that development isn’t likely to be fast enough for him to have an impactful rookie year.