Dan Orlovsky has one recommendation if Patriots draft Drake Maye
"Drake Maye has to be on the Jordan Love-type of timeline."
Dan Orlovsky on what should happen if the Patriots pick Drake Maye: With the NFL Scouting Combine now concluded, the speculation over who the Patriots might pick third overall has only increased.
Obviously, some of the more intriguing options for New England revolve around selecting a quarterback. Among the plethora of possibilities is former North Carolina standout Drake Maye.
Should the Patriots opt for Maye, it might require some patience. Former NFL quarterback (and ESPN analyst) Dan Orlovsky recently explained why New England might have to sit Maye in his first season.
“If New England wants to take Drake Maye at [third overall], they better have a free agent [quarterback] already signed,” Orlovsky told Rich Eisen in an interview on Monday. “Drake Maye has to be on the Jordan Love-type of timeline. Drake Maye has to sit.”
“I’ll give the one reason why,” Orlovsky continued. “His feet are too sloppy, and too all over the place.”
Citing past examples of quarterbacks who were taken with a top pick but struggled with footwork, Orlovsky noted that some of them (like Sam Darnold and Mitchell Trubisky) did not develop into the franchise players they were expected to become. Others who have been more successful were able to acclimate because they worked to improve that part of their game.
“If you go into the NFL and, mechanically, your feet are sloppy — and you don’t fix it — you’re going to struggle,” Orlovsky explained. “You might get away with it here and there, but you’re going to struggle. I’ve watched Josh Allen fix it, I’ve watched Patrick Mahomes do it, I’ve watched Lamar Jackson do it. They all have to.”
Given the apparent need to not play him for at least a season, why would Maye be considered for such a high pick?
“Drake Maye is an amazing talent,” said Orlovsky. “I love his Pittsburgh game. He’s the difference in the game. He makes some big time plays down the field. He controls the line of scrimmage with protection, ball comes out on-time, drops that back leg and rips it.”
“And then I see some plays, like, ‘Hey man, you can get away with that against Pitt on that deep crosser vs. man coverage, but you’re not going to survive a long time in the NFL like that.'”
Assessing the road map for Maye’s development if he ends up in New England, Orlovsky again cited Love’s timeline as the eventual successor to Aaron Rodgers with the Packers. Picked in the first round in 2020, Love didn’t start until 2023 (when he helped lead Green Bay to a playoff appearance, including a win over the Cowboys in Dallas).
“If New England takes [Maye] and expects him to play right away, that gives me agita thinking about it, because I want that young man to sit for a year or two, refine that lower half, and then unleash like Green Bay did.”
Trivia: Since 2000, two players from the University of North Carolina have been selected second overall in the NFL Draft. Can you name them?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: One was a defensive player picked by the Panthers in 2002, the other was an offensive player picked by the Bears in 2017.
Scores and schedules:
The Bruins got out to a first period lead and never looked back in a 4-1 win over the Maple Leafs in Toronto on Monday. Boston is back in action tonight at TD Garden, hosting the Oilers at 7:30 p.m.
Tonight, the Celtics face the Cavaliers in Cleveland at 7:30 p.m.
Tomorrow, PWHL Boston will be on the road to play Toronto at 7 p.m.
Also on Wednesday, the Revolution host Costa Rican side Liga Deportiva Alajuelense in the first leg of a CONCACAF Champions Cup matchup at 6 p.m.
More from Boston.com:
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- If Linus Ullmark is on the market, a deal with Devils could make sense for Bruins
- Bruins’ David Pastrnak continues his reign as Maple Leafs mulcher
- Bruins reportedly discussing contract extension with Jeremy Swayman
- NFL insider doesn’t rule out Patriots taking J.J. McCarthy with No. 3 pick
- As J.J. McCarthy’s draft stock climbs, Michigan QB could sneak into top 3
- Watch: Patriots DT Christian Barmore buys his mom a new home
- Adam Schefter floats two veteran free agent quarterback possibilities for the Patriots
- Patriots have reportedly offered Kendrick Bourne a new contract
- Why Jon Lester decided to come to Red Sox camp
Some more about the latest “Dynasty” episode: Filmmaker Matt Hamachek, who directed “The Dynasty” documentary series about the Patriots, talked more about Robert Kraft and Aaron Hernandez in a recent episode of “Up and Adams with Kay Adams.”
On this day: In 1961, the Celtics outscored the Warriors 146-129 in a matchup of Hall of Fame centers. Despite Wilt Chamberlain leading the game with 47 points and 26 rebounds, Bill Russell — as he did so often in that era — came away with the win. Russell put up impressive numbers of his own, contributing a then-career high 37 points (adding 25 rebounds and, according to a Boston Globe recap, six blocks).
Daily highlight: Aleksander Barkov juggled the puck around the defenseman before finding his teammate for the assist.
Trivia answer: Julius Peppers, Mitchell Trubisky
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