Patriots QB Coach Discusses ‘Quick’ Development Of Drake Maye

FOXBORO, Mass. — Drake Maye’s development will be the top Patriots storyline to follow throughout the summer, and the early returns likely has New England feeling pretty good.

Maye jumped up a spot on the depth chart Tuesday, receiving second-team reps behind Jacoby Brissett during team periods. It was the first time the media received a glimpse of the rookie in that role and it was a result of his steady improvement throughout the spring.

“He’s eager to learn,” Patriots quarterbacks coach T.C. McCartney said prior to the start of practice. “He’s been improving every day. You see it on the field and in the meeting room. It’s been really good.”

McCartney admitted things were bound to move quickly for Maye while discussing the specifics of how the 21-year-old has adapted in his introduction to the NFL.

“I mean, we’re teaching him a lot of new things — things he didn’t do in college. So there was bound to be pretty quick improvement,” McCartney said. “It stems from the footwork to what we’re trying to do with each call: timing, footwork, tying our eyes to our feet, getting the ball to the right place at the right time.”

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Maye finished 5-for-9 with a pair of interceptions in his first (public) practice repping behind Brissett and ahead of Bailey Zappe. It was a good example of why the Patriots have elected to take things slow with the rookies, as the turnovers stemmed from a lack of communication between the quarterback and his intended targets.

It was a good learning experience, and one Maye and Joe Milton III can both draw upon as they still find comfort in their new home.

“I love having two rookies together,” McCartney said. “In Denver, we had two rookies in (Brett) Rypien and Drew Lock, and they were able to just feed off one another. They often have the same questions and they’re able to talk it out amongst each other. It’s really good for improvement when we’re not meeting together.”

New England likely will continue to ease Maye and Milton into the fold, especially with a veteran starter who has experience in the offense. The Patriots’ main focus seems to be breaking down the rookies fundamentally, and building them back up while they learn the system.

It’s a process, but improvement has been apparent to those doing the work.

“I think of it as a marathon over a sprint. You can’t just stick a guy out there and expect him to be successful without the proper training,” Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said. “We are making moves in the right direction.”