Patriots Insider Drops Most Likely Result for Drake Maye's Rookie Year

The New England Patriots laid the foundation of their rebuild by selecting QB Drake Maye with the third-overall pick in this year's draft. The UNC signal caller will enter the mix as the building block to help lift this franchise back to the prestigious heights it once saw not too long ago.

However, while the sight of seeing a top quarterback prospect like Maye is an exciting one for Patriots fans aspiring for a much-needed change to the offense, it may still be some time before we get a chance to get our eyes on the 21-year-old starting in Foxboro.

New England has remained steadfast in their approach to take things slow and steady with their young quarterback rather than rush into the process. Maye is still a relatively inexperienced quarterback, and adding Jacoby Brissett to the roster this offseason gives the Patriots a worthwhile mentor and bridge guy to help make the transition much smoother.

Patience will be key when it comes to Maye's development, yet it still begs the question of when the Patriots will eventually pull the trigger to start their guy. Many have thrown out some projections of when New England could throw him in as QB1, but Tom Curran on NBC Sports Boston laid out some realistic expectations.

When drawing how Maye's rookie campaign could come about, Curran dished a hypothetical that could see the Patriots' rookie see his first start under center in Week 13 vs. the Indianapolis Colts, ultimately finishing out the season as QB1 through some likely growing pains:

"With the team scuffling and everyone understanding the future is not now, the noise to let Maye play gets real loud. Finally, Maye gets his first start against the Colts in Week 13. The team’s playoff hopes are extinguished so a lot of the season becomes about 2025. He plays OK. Then he plays horribly. But the very end of the season winds up reminiscent of 1993 when the light went on for rookie Drew Bledsoe and the Patriots finished with a flourish."

- Tom Curran. NBC Sports Boston

It may be wishful thinking for Maye to instantly come in as the day one starter, but it could end up as a net positive for the long-term outlook of the Patriots quarterback.

New England is tasked with a gauntlet of a schedule out of the gates, kicking things off with the Cincinnati Bengals, Seattle Seahawks, New York Jets, and San Francisco 49ers-- a rude awakening for a squad that suffered from an ugly 4-13 regular season record in 2023.

Without much sustainable structure to surround a first-year QB like Maye, it could be best for a tested veteran like Brissett to handle things off-rip, allowing some time for the rookie to learn and get adjusted to the NFL game. Instead, earning a starting gig towards the tail end of the season gives him a reasonable buffer to get his feet wet.

Considering how the last attempt at selecting a potential franchise quarterback went, the Patriots cannot afford to hurry things along a second time around. Maye has the upside to hone into a top option at his position with time, but it won't be happening overnight.

Fans can get a better idea of when to expect Maye to land at the top of the depth chart once the happenings of Patriots training camp begin to unravel, starting at the end of the month on July 24th.

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