New England Patriots - NESN.com
Coming off a Pro Bowl rookie season, New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye has been tabbed as a popular breakout candidate in 2025.
While Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes are still among the biggest names typically viewed as the best signal-caller in the NFL, one analyst thinks that Maye is already a top-10 quarterback, at least in one area of the game.
ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky revealed his top quarterbacks rankings by trait on Monday, including categories such as “arm strength,” “ball placement,” “decision-making” and “pocket presence,” among others.
Maye only made the list in one of the seven categories — second-reaction ability — where he’s ranked ninth.
“The ball is snapped, everything breaks down and the defense ‘wins’ the play. What happens next? Can the QB still make something happen, even with the called play dead in the water? These are the best of the best in off-schedule and off-platform throws, which often demand nonstandard arm angles on the move. It’s where a quarterback’s creativity can really shine,” Orlovsky wrote. “(Bo) Nix surprised a lot of people with his effectiveness in this category in 2024, and I’m watching for Maye to show what he can do here in 2025. The Patriots would be smart to let Maye loose on these types of plays, especially because they improved his supporting cast. Having better playmakers means it’s more likely someone gets open late in the down.”
The former third overall pick finished last season with 15 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 2,276 passing yards and a 66.6% completion percentage across 13 games (12 starts), good for an 88.1 passer rating. Maye added 54 carries for 421 yards and two touchdowns, while finishing eighth in the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.
He’s ranked behind the top-three of Jackson, Mahomes and Allen (in that order) in second-reaction ability, as well as Jayden Daniels, Jalen Hurts, Kyler Murray, Joe Burrow and Caleb Williams.
