The New England Patriots are in their first NFL Draft without Bill Belichick since 1999. That doesn’t mean the legendary coach isn’t involved in the process, though.
After parting ways with the Patriots and not finding a new job in the coaching cycle, Belichick joined ESPN’s “Pat McAfee Show” to break down each of the first-round draft picks. Including the Patriots’ pick at No. 3.
That selection turned out to be North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, with the Patriots landing a new face of the franchise with their first pick of the post-Belichick era. Maye was widely mocked to the Patriots, who were also thought to be looking for a trade but ended up taking what they believed to be the best quarterback remaining.
Belichick, however, sounded less sold. He didn’t outright call Maye a bad quarterback, but he clearly believed his old team had just drafted a project under center rather than someone who can star from Day 1. He also took minor issue with a comparison to Buffalo Bills star Josh Allen:
Well, I think that’s certainly a top need for them. It’s quarterback, tackle and wide receiver, so this is one of the top needs. Drake compares himself a lot to Josh Allen, he’s been doing that for quite a while. We’ll see about that. I think there are some similarities, size and athleticism, but Josh Allen’s a pretty special player now.
A very talented kid. Good size, runs well, has a good arm. He just hasn’t played very much. He really doesn’t have a lot of experience. He makes some big plays … He’s going to need some work in reading defenses, reading coverages.
You can see his full tape breakdown, with captions including “big play,” “quick to come off receivers,” “need to stay in the pocket & throw” and “poor throw.” He also noted “of all the quarterbacks, [Maye] was the lowest-rated pocket passer.
He also criticized Maye’s footwork in a clip before the draft as well during a quick review of all the major quarterback prospects:
“Drake Maye, his footwork needs a lot of work. Here, he’s all over the place. Never resets his feet. Never really gets in position to throw. Gets strip-sacked. Too much hopping around. Step up and throw.
Belichick concluded that he believes Maye has talent “just needs some time and experience.”
To be clear, Belichick had criticisms of No. 1 pick Caleb Williams and No. 2 pick Jaylen Daniels as well. He just seemed more concerned about Maye’s game translating to the NFL immediately. It will be on new Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo to develop Maye into the quarterback Belichick believes he can be.
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