Long before Drake Maye ever took his first NFL snap, he was viewed as a special talent. The Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants thought so much of him that they were willing to trade multiple premium draft picks in hopes of convincing the New England Patriots to move down the 2024 NFL draft board.
But the Patriots never budged.
They needed a franchise quarterback to start their rebuild, and Maye was viewed as one of the top options on the board, along with Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels. The fact that Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell, an offensive guru, was so adamant about drafting Maye probably set off alarm bells for the Patriots as well.
If Maye was really that talented, why not just draft the quarterback? And so, the Patriots opted to stay put and draft Maye.
“So the Vikings offered them the 11th pick, the 23rd pick, a 2025 first-round pick,” Breer said on 98.5 The Sports Hub. “So they were offered three first-round picks and then pick swaps later on. And then the Giants offered their first-round pick, which was sixth. So [the Patriots] would only have to move down three spots. Then their 2025 first-round pick. Then I believe a third-round pick. They were big offers. The Patriots had a lot of holes, and I think when you looked at it, there were people saying maybe they should trade down and fill multiple holes. …They didn’t move off their spot.”
Maye has quickly ascended into a top 10 quarterback in the NFL in only his second season. He was one of the reasons why Mike Vrabel chose to return and coach in New England.
It’s tough imagining what the team would have looked like if they passed on drafting Maye that year. Patriots fans are happy to know they’ll never find out.
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