Drake Maye was selected third in the Draft. Obviously, the Patriots praise his qualities and hope to see him become the leader of the franchise.
But everything will not be offered on a platter to the young quarterback. On the Pats' official website, Jerod Mayo recalled that Maye will be well supported for his first steps in the league.
He will notably rub shoulders with Jacoby Brissett, a 31-year-old player who played for New England, but also the Colts, Dophins, Browns and Commanders, before returning home a few weeks later.
A helper, but also a competitor.
“Going back to Bill Belichick, I don't think a lot of rookies are ready to go straight,” Mayo said. “Ultimately, our philosophy is to play the best players. I hope he will be a sponge as a rookie. There are a lot of good players in this locker room. Jacoby understands that, he is a mentor. He's very intelligent, he has leadership qualities, and I hope Drake to learn from him.
“I would say we're going to have competition throughout spring and training camp, and the best player will start. »
Drake Maye accepts the challenge
The veteran to push the beginner is a classic refrain in the NFL. And that doesn't seem to scare Drake Maye, who even enjoys having to face an alumnus of NC State, the rival university of his, North Carolina.
” Let's go ! Two guys from the ACC who want to fight and play,” says Maye. “Jacoby has played here before, in a lot of systems, he knows how to play. He's a great player. He went to the wrong college in the ACC, but I don't have anything to say, they beat us. I'm looking forward to working with him, he's a veteran I can learn from. »
The competitive spirit and the desire to progress are precisely the qualities that attracted Jerod Mayo and the Patriots.
“This guy has the mindset of wanting to improve,” explains the coach. “He understands his weaknesses, which is a big positive. If you know your weak points, you can try to improve them. And from a pure talent standpoint, he's pretty elite. »
Jacoby Brissett has shown over the seasons that he is a solid player, but without huge moments. Last year, he threw just 23 passes for the Commanders. 18 were completed, for 224 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions.
Over the course of his career, Brissett started 48 games, with 51 touchdowns thrown for 23 interceptions. Solid, but not insurmountable if Drake Maye is truly the future of the Patriots.
Jerod Mayo, a new era
Jerod Mayo knows the pressure is on him just as much as it is on Maye.
“Our legacy will be defined by the player we choose in 3rd position,” he explained before the Draft. “I know I asked the fans to be patient, but they won’t be patient. I understand. We are ready for this challenge. »
To launch his new era, the new coach made a few small changes to stand out from the eternal Bill Belichick.
The “The Patriot Way” and “Do Your Job” signs on the walls of the training center are gone. Now we can read “We not me”, “Hard work works” and “Process, progress, payoff.” »
Another new feature: Maye was directly entitled to his number 10. With Belichick, the rookies had to wear numbers in the 50 during the first practices and earn their number.
