Patriots QB Drake Maye receives blunt message from Jerod Mayo during rookie minicamp

For Drake Maye and the New England Patriots, it's a new dawn. They joined forces after the NFL Draft, where the Patriots grabbed Maye with the third overall pick.

Patriots fans were extremely excited with the team's pick and believed that they would finally be able to replace Tom Brady after four years of unsuccessful tries.

However, new Patriots coach Jerod Mayo knows that there's a long road to walk before their new quarterback can become a superstar. And as the team finished its rookie minicamp during the weekend, Mayo, a favorite of Bill Belichick during his entire playing career, gave his first impression of Drake Maye:

"He has a lot to work on. A lot to work on, But I have no doubt that he will put the time in. He was here all night trying to get on the same page as everyone else."

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Why did the Commanders pass on Drake Maye? How lucky were the Patriots?

The North Carolina quarterback had to deal with a major loss of personnel after the 2022 season, and even his coaching staff underwent major changes. His performances dropped a bit, but the potential was still there.

While production is important, it should never be too important, especially as you're evaluating quarterback prospects. Jayden Daniels was far and away the best college football quarterback in 2023, but looking through the lens of an NFL scout, it was difficult to put more stock on him than the UNC product. The Commanders disagreed.

Washington might regret the wasted opportunity sooner rather than later. Drake Maye isn't as athletically gifted as Daniels, but he's a great prospect who can complete throws all over the field and has great accuracy. Other quarterbacks, like Daniels, J.J. McCarthy from Michigan, or even Michael Penix Jr., from Washington, don't give you the same consistency.