ESPN Analyst Had Ambitious Outlook For Patriots’ Drake Maye

Drake Maye was an enigma of a prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft, but early signs from the offseason point toward the Patriots making the right choice.

New England completed its first day of OTAs on Monday, and the team released mic’d up footage of Jerod Mayo and Maye. There were some interesting tidbits about the first-year Patriots head coach at work, and Maye seemed like he was having a blast getting to work with his teammates on the field.

ESPN and ACC Network analyst Eddie Royal’s takeaway from the clip should spark optimism for Patriots fans on Maye’s ability to transition to the next level.

“If you understand ball or ever been in a huddle you know how important this video is,” Royal posted on X on Monday. “I didn’t need to see one throw to know he’s going to be a star. This type of communication coming from a rookie is off the charts.”

Maye stressed he wanted to be a good teammate and develop chemistry with his pass-catchers. The behind-the-scenes footage showed just that with the 2024 first-round pick communicating with fellow rookies Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker about running their routes and what they saw on the field.

It’s a small sample size, but Maye has shown he’s willing to put in the work that heavy expectations require of him, and that work might get acknowledged more by former players.