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Chris Simms admits he was wrong.
Simms, an NFL analyst for NBC Sports, was not high on Drake Maye when the signal-caller was entering the 2024 NFL Draft. Simms ranked Maye as the sixth-best quarterback in the class under the title “talented project.”
Appearing on Tom E. Curran’s “Patriots Talk” podcast Tuesday, Simms admitted his wrongs.
“Listen, I told you my concerns with him in the draft,” Simms told Curran. “He was not my favorite. He definitely fixed some of the things I was worried about, and he proved me wrong.”
It was a steller season for rookie quarterbacks with Washington Commanders’ Jayden Daniels, Denver Broncos’ Bo Nix and Maye, who was named to the Pro Bowl after a series of opt-outs. Caleb Williams is sure to be much-improved in 2025 after the Chicago Bears hired head coach Ben Johnson.
“If you went to his Pro Day at North Carolina, I would’ve gone, ‘You don’t draft this person in the first round,'” Simms said in reference to Maye. “… Drastically (improved). All the moving parts you’re talking about all got fine-tuned. The motion got tighter and quicker. The legs and the feet were in the right spot. We knew he has physical ability, but now there was the ability of doing it consistently. Damn, I mean, the athleticism, When he opens up and runs, he’s one of the faster quarterbacks — other than Lamar and maybe a few other guys, he’s as fast any quarterback in football.
“Was really impressed with the way he played throughout the year,” Simms continued. “Especially with all the big throws down the field. Yeah, looks like I was wrong about that evaluation.”
Maye surpassed just about all expectations during his rookie season, despite the overall struggles of the Patriots. He’ll enter his second season with a better coaching staff headlined by head coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, and likely will have an improved supporting cast around him.
