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Drew Bledsoe admits he’s ‘jealous’ of this part of Drake Maye’s game
"I’m not saying do it more, but the ability to do that really changes him."
Drake Maye sparked plenty of hope in New England as a rookie quarterback during the 2024 season.
While most of the promise in the 22-year-old QB resides in his cannon of an arm and processing ability on the gridiron, the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft also surprised many with his athleticism — especially when scrambling with the ball for extra yardage.
Maye’s profile in the NFL ranks didn’t paint the picture of a legitimate dual-threat QB, but the stats said otherwise in 2024.
The former UNC signal-caller threw for 2,276 yards and 15 touchdowns over 13 games last season, but he also rushed for 421 yards (7.8 yards per carry) and two additional touchdowns.
Maye’s added skill set of extending plays and burning defenses for chunk yardage is something that has stood out to former Patriots QB Drew Bledsoe.
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“It’s such a great weapon and something, quite honestly, I’m a little bit jealous of,” Bledsoe said of Maye’s rushing ability on the “Up and Adams” show. “I’m not saying do it more, but the ability to do that really changes him.
“You watch Pat Mahomes, it seems like every game, Pat would make one big play running the ball. Obviously, he’s magic throwing the ball. It always seemed like in crunch time he’d pull it down to run for that first down that was just a backbreaker. I think Drake Maye has the ability to do that.”
Even if Maye’s bread-and-butter as an NFL quarterback lies in that arm strength, his ability to improvise off of broken plays or carve defenses with designed runs does give Josh McDaniels and New England’s revamped offense an added element moving forward.
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McDaniels — back in his third stint as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator — has some experience tailoring an offense toward a mobile QB after working with Cam Newton in 2020, while the offseason additions of offensive linemen like Will Campbell, Morgan Moses, and Jared Wilson should help clear more room in the trenches for Maye to slip through for major gains.
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