NFL general managers and coaches that have picks close to the top of the 2024 NFL Draft should take note of Merril Hoge’s caution: If you choose Drake Maye, get ready to be unemployed.
Later this month, Maye is expected to be selected in the top three, and it’s likely that the Commanders, who have the No. 2 pick or the Patriots directly after them, will select him. According to Hoge,
“Drake Maye is the kind of player that will get you fired,” “Especially if you draft him in the top five or top three, he’s going to get you fired.”
Though it’s uncertain who will be chosen first, Maye and LSU’s Jayden Daniels, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner, are predicted to go No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, with USC’s Caleb Williams projected to go first.
Hoge likened Maye to Titans quarterback Malik Willis, who is ranked behind Will Levis on Tennessee’s depth chart and was selected in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Hoge said,
“Willis might be the only guy that I can think of that is as erratic as Maye,”
“I studied him for two years. I watched every one of his games last year. His last game against [North Carolina State] was probably the most embarrassing display I’ve seen from a guy who is supposed to be an elite franchise quarterback. He’s erratic. He’s everywhere.”
Drake Maye’s season so far
2023 saw Maye throw for 3,608 yards, 24 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in 12 games. It was a step back from 2022, when he led the Tar Heels to an ACC Championship game appearance, where they were defeated by Clemson, and threw for 4,321 yards, 38 touchdowns, and seven interceptions with much more quality surrounding him.
In the last moments of the previous two seasons, North Carolina faltered. They were 6-0 before dropping their final five games of the previous season, and they were 9-1 in 2022 before dropping their final four games.
It was said that Maye met with the Patriots.