The Patriots stayed at No. 3 and drafted Drake Maye in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and he’ll face considerable competition in a talented rookie class.
New England wasn’t too quick to hand the starting job to the 21-year-old, who was excited for the opportunity to compete with a supporting cast he strongly believes in. Jacoby Brissett is set up to be the bridge quarterback to allow Maye to develop, but he still is among the top contenders to win Rookie of the Year.
No. 1 pick Caleb Williams is the favorite at +210 on FanDuel Sportsbook, and Marvin Harrison Jr. has the second-lowest odds at +600. The pair are the prospects who are best suited to make an impact with the Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals, respectively.
Maye opened with 25-1 odds to win Rookie of the Year, but that number went down to 20-1 as of Friday noon ET. He also is an extreme long shot to take home MVP with 200-1 odds.
Bill Belichick was one of multiple evaluators to point out the flaws in Maye’s game, and the former Patriots head coach expressed initial skepticism the North Carolina product could be as good as Josh Allen, a comp multiple analysts used for Maye.
However, if Maye impresses this summer, earns the starting job and proves to be a legit starting NFL quarterback, 20-1 would be a solid number to take this month before it shortens following his hype.
