Drake Maye surprised NFL analyst Chris Simms with his improvement since the 2024 draft
“I see a lot more positives than negatives, that’s for sure.”
NFL analyst Chris Simms said he was surprised by Drake Maye’s improvement on Thursday’s episode of the “Patriots Talk Podcast” with Tom E. Curran.
In March, Simms the Patriots quarterback sixth among the quarterback prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft, explaining that the rookie had plenty of talent and potential, but needed to work through some “mechanical issues.”
Since becoming the Patriots’ starting quarterback in Week 6, Maye has had good moments on a 2-7 team. Simms acknowledged Maye’s development after making major changes since playing at UNC.
“I am surprised, no question,” Simms said. “Some of the throws I saw, I went, ‘Oh, he’s fixed some of the mechanical issues that I didn’t love about him coming out of college football.’ That’s definitely improved.”
Footwork was a major point that Maye worked to improve during training camp, under the supervision of offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. Simms said he was impressed by how that work has paid off.
“His feet have calmed down in the pocket,” he said. “There’s plays you watch in college and you go, ‘He’s doing a carioca and dancing around for no reason.’ Now he’s standing there with them in the right position.”
One thing Simms said Maye still has to work on is learning when and when not to run, which has led to him “getting hit a little bit more than he should at times.”
“Some of these runs, yes, they’re good. But I go, ‘Wait, that guy’s open. You shouldn’t have ran,’” said Simms. “You don’t have to take that unnecessary risk or hit you do when you’re scrambling.”
Simms also praised Maye’s “explosive” arm and running as weapons that have been difficult for opposing teams to defend against.
“I’m not totally sold yet, but from what I’ve seen to this point, he’s definitely proved me wrong,” Simms said. “I see a lot more positives than negatives, that’s for sure.”
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