Drake Maye, Mac Jones Share Common Patriots Thread That Shouldn’t Matter

Drake Maye and Mac Jones are totally different players who both happened to join the New England Patriots as first-round draft picks who wear No. 10.

Their rookie seasons in New England in 2024 and 2021 do share a frustrating trend: a steady diet of interceptions.

Maye tossed an interception in Sunday’s loss to the Buffalo Bills. The pick extended the NFL’s longest active interception streak for the Patriots quarterback. Jones had a similarly frustrating finish to his rookie season, tossing five interceptions in the last four games of the season. That didn’t include two more picks in the Patriots’ 47-17 blowout loss to the Bills in the AFC Wild Card round.

Maye now has a 3.2% interception rate through his first 10 starts while Jones tallied a 2.5% rate across 17 starts. While there is this link, there is absolutely zero reason for the Patriots to follow any other connections between Maye and Jones.

Maye is a dynamic athlete with a better frame, better arm strength, better mobility and better intangibles. Jones took a steep decline with New England over his next two seasons, albeit with major changes among offensive coaching assistants. The Patriots traded him last offseason to the Jacksonville Jaguars where he’s failed to elevate his hometown team after starter and fellow 2021 first-rounder Trevor Lawrence suffered a season-ending injury.

Jones’ Patriots squad in 2021 won more games than Maye’s group in 2024. Their second seasons for New England should have completely different trajectories.