UNC quarterback Drake Maye has been lauded as one of the top two prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft for over a year, but why has his stock slipped in recent weeks?
Maye broke on to the scene starting as a redshirt freshman in Chapel Hill, going off to the tune of a 4,321-yard, 38-touchdown, 7-interception season that set him up as a blue chip prospect.
The one-time Alabama commit entirely lived up to his high billing as a prospect coming out of high school, but his stats in this most recent season dwindled as much of his supporting cast left.
The Tar Heels didn't do him many favors schematically or in terms of protection, either, as he was frequently forced to escape the pocket and create outside of structure.
The film is clear that Drake Maye has what it takes to succeed in this league, even as some have come to nitpick his flaws. The fact is that he would be a clear-cut number one pick in any other draft that didn't feature Caleb Williams.
Here are the three teams well-positioned to add Drake Maye to their core and build around him as their future quarterback.
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2024 NFL Draft: Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders own the second overall pick in this year's NFL Draft, which was long seen as the ticket necessary to land Maye.
Since then, hype around the Heisman-winning LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels has led to him being seen as a serious contender to be picked at this spot and become the Commanders' future quarterback.
It's a virtual guarantee that Washington will be picking a quarterback, as their decision to trade incumbent Sam Howell to Seattle cemented that decision.
There's no doubt that what Daniels did in college last season was impressive, but Drake Maye is the more pro-ready and surefire prospect. He's got a higher ceiling, too, evidenced by his arm strength, ability to throw to all levels, and the pocket awareness he displayed in suboptimal conditions at UNC.
With Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson in place, Maye could do well to maximize the team's existing weapons.
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2024 NFL Draft: New England Patriots
In the scenario where the Commanders take Daniels over Maye, the New England Patriots would have the opportunity to either end his fall and select their next franchise quarterback or let him slip further in favor of an offensive lineman or perhaps Marvin Harrison Jr.
But what a start it would be in the career of new head coach Jerod Mayo to land a blue chip quarterback right out of the gate.
The pieces are in place for New England to have a strong defense, but things are looking bleak on the offensive side of the ball. A plug-and-play type quarterback like Drake Maye who could mirror a Justin Herbert-esque impact as a rookie.
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2024 NFL Draft: Minnesota Vikings
This would represent quite a fall for Drake Maye unless the Minnesota Vikings trade up to 4 or 5, but this is a match made in heaven in so many ways.
The Vikings hired Josh McCown as their quarterbacks coach this off-season, and McCown and Maye know each other well, as McCown coached Maye at Myers Park High in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Further, the Vikings wouldn't be taking a big swing on Daniels or J.J. McCarthy if Maye were available, injecting a ready-made high-end passer into their offense to feed their array of weapons consisting of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and tight end T.J. Hockenson.
Kirk Cousins gave the Vikings some very good years, but landing Drake Maye would give them a shot at the type of elite quarterback that could elevate the franchise and that core to new heights.
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