Patriots assistant coach ‘surprised’ by Drake Maye’s ability to process information quickly as a rookie
"I think he may be the smartest person in this building.”
Drake Maye’s impressive rookie campaign has been full of high-athleticism plays and showcases of arm talent, but his physical attributes aren’t the only thing drawing praise from the Patriots’ coaching staff.
New England’s quarterbacks coach, T.C. McCartney, was complimentary of the mental side of Maye’s game while speaking to MassLive’s Mark Daniels. McCartney even went as far as to deem Maye “the smartest person” on the Patriots.
Considering Maye is just 22 years old, that’s a majorly positive review from one of the coaches who works most closely with the young signal-caller in New England.
“I think his development happened very quickly,” McCartney said. “We knew he was sharp, but I think he may be the smartest person in this building. He really might be. He’s a super-fast processor. Maybe that has surprised me a little bit — just how quickly he picks things up, understands things.
“There’s a couple different types of processing whether it’s spatial processing or information processing. He can do both at a very high level.”
Maye’s spatial awareness has been a key for the Patriots’ offense, especially considering the struggles of New England’s offensive line. Maye has put himself in positions to avoid sacks numerous times this season.
Despite New England’s poor record this season and a severe lack of offensive talent around its rookie, Maye has solidified himself as the new franchise quarterback in Foxborough. He has 1,898 passing yards and 12 touchdowns, while owning a 68.5 completion percentage in 11 games this season.
Maye’s play style has drawn comparisons to Josh Allen, who he’ll play against for the first — but certainly not last — time on Sunday. Allen himself also had plenty of positive takeaways from watching Maye play this season.
Through all of the ups and downs of the 2024 Patriots, it’s clear that New England made the right call drafting Maye No. 3 overall in the NFL Draft.
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