Pegged for months as a likely top-five pick in the 2024 draft, Drake Maye has determined he is done with college football. The North Carolina quarterback announced Monday he will declare for the draft.
Listed by most as the second-best quarterback in the 2024 class (behind USC’s Caleb Williams), Maye may well come off the board second overall. It is not out of the question, either, the two-year North Carolina starter leapfrogs the 2022 Heisman winner for the top overall slot. Sam Howell‘s Tar Heels successor will begin pre-draft preparations in earnest now.
The younger brother of former North Carolina basketball standout Luke Maye, Drake rocketed onto the first-round radar after throwing 38 touchdown passes (compared to just seven interceptions) in his first starter season. This year, the 6-foot-4 prospect threw 24 TD passes. Maye averaged 8.4 and 8.5 yards per attempt in his two seasons, respectively, and threw for 4,321 yards in 2022. With Maye showcasing his rushing talents in Chapel Hill as well (1,209 career rushing yards, 16 TDs), he will be a coveted prospect by teams who hold early draft slots and those eyeing a first-round trade-up maneuver.
The redshirt sophomore will skip North Carolina’s bowl game, the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, joining Williams in bypassing his team’s season finale. That has become an increasingly common tactic by top prospects not on teams who qualify for the College Football Playoff. While Williams has not yet entered his name in the draft, that is widely expected to happen.
Mel Kiper Jr.’s current ESPN big board lists Maye as 2024’s third-best prospect — behind Williams and Ohio State wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. With many past examples to judge, Maye surpassing Harrison should perhaps be anticipated. This is assuming his pre-draft process goes well, of course. Drafts have begun with two quarterbacks four times since 2015, though the 2018 and ’20 drafts could potentially be relevant re: Maye. The Giants passed on Sam Darnold to pick a dynamic skill-position player (Saquon Barkley) in 2018, while it took until picks 5 and 6 for Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert to follow Joe Burrow off the 2020 board. Should a team without a QB need land the No. 2 overall pick and view Harrison as a can’t-miss prospect, it is certainly possible the draft will not begin with a Williams-Maye procession.
Multiple wild cards exist regarding QB investments in 2024 as well. The Bears are determining if they want to keep going with Justin Fields beyond this year. With the Panthers holding a two-game lead on the Patriots and Cardinals for the No. 1 pick, the Bears (by virtue of the Bryce Young trade) are the clear favorites to hold the top draft slot once again. The Patriots are expected to pursue a quarterback in the draft, though the Cardinals are uncertain to do so. They are evaluating Kyler Murray, but with Murray’s contract far more difficult to move on from than Fields’ rookie deal, Arizona sticking with the 2019 top pick — a player the team’s new regime praised throughout his ACL rehab process — and adding a highly touted non-QB in Round 1 may be the play.
Teams without surefire QB needs’ plans will be determined by the respective ceilings of Williams and Maye. Wherever the latter lands in the top five, he will be expected to start either from the jump or at some point during his rookie season.
NFL money is better than NIL money.
Harrison is reportedly being offered $25M in NIL money by OSU boosters to play one more year there. It will be interesting to see what choice he makes…likely returning to school, imo.
Guess I was wrong!
I don’t watch college football. I keep hearing about 5 QBs who may all be great: Williams, Maye, Daniels, Nix, Penix. Is that normal hype, or are these 5 better than most QB groups going into a draft? It’s an honest question. I’m genuinely curious.
Normal hype. Everyone has to stir the pot on the ‘next great QB’s’ while we know 1 might be great, 1 good, and the others long term backups.
I watch the college football, but as you know, the draft is a crapshoot.
Maye is a good thrower. Everyone is slightly overhyped every year but Maye is solid
There are some durability concerns with him, but I think Penix Jr. is going to be a good NFL QB if he can stay healthy. With all of these guys, it’s about landing in the right situation to maximize their development too.
There were those last year that said Bryce Young was the #1 QB. How’d that work out?
Very well…for Chicago!
Or the “great” draft class of Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Lance, Fields, Mac Jones.
In fairness, Lawrence has been good, and Fields has shown flashes at times. Lance was overdrafted.
Wilson and Jones have both been terrible, but I’m also not sure the places they landed in have done them many favors to help them out.
Be careful where you walk in North Carolina,
BECAUSE
Drake Maye Might go #2 !!
Because Trubisky worked out so well.
Remember watching his bro play basketball. So cool to see younger bro go to NFL.
Panthers knew Maye was going to come out. Probably would have been better to stay put last year, knowing the hometown guy was likely. They were going to suck even in the worst division.
Patriots or Bucs are calling his name
Depending on what happens with Belichick, I’d be terrified of hearing my name called by N.E. if I were him. Some of Mac Jones failures are on him, but Belichick hasn’t done him any favors. New England desperately needs to make a coaching change if they’re going to go all-in on developing a young QB.
Actually BB’s buddy, Joe Judge, is to blame for the QB debacle in New England. Dump Judge, keep BB as coach and bring in a new GM and the Pats are at least 9-8 next season.
Agreed on Judge. He did nothing to develop Daniel Jones, then went back to New England and did nothing to help Mac Jones. Dude needs to either go back to special teams or get fired. Total clown show.
Too bad he doesn’t have a choice lmao it’s called a draft for a reason
This narrative needs to stop. Mac Jones was never going to be a viable long term starter in the league. Some of us told you his rookie year. Those physical limitations he had would get figured out over time. His rookie year, he and a very washed up Ben Roethlisberger were the same QB statistically and by the eye test. No one wanted washed up Ben Roethlisberger QB’ing their team.