Will Patriots start Drake Maye over Jacoby Brissett?

Shortly after the New England Patriots made North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye the third pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, New England head coach Jerod Mayo indicated he'll give Maye a chance to win the starting job over veteran Jacoby Brissett this summer. 

"To go back to [former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick], I don’t think many rookies are ready to just jump in and play," Mayo explained, according to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. "At the end of the day, our philosophy is the best players will play. Coming in as a rookie, hopefully, he’s a sponge. There are a lot of good players in that locker room, and look, Jacoby, he understands. He’s a mentor. He’s smart, has great leadership skills, and hopefully Drake can learn something from him, as well. But I would say we’re going to compete during training camp. The best player will start."

Most Patriots insiders assumed the club signed Brissett early in free agency to have him serve as both a mentor and a bridge option at the position. Add in that a plethora of analysts said on multiple occasions this spring that Maye may need to sit for "a year" to address weaknesses in his game such as his footwork and decision-making skills, and New England letting the first-year pro develop as a spectator makes all kinds of sense. 

Maye himself admitted to Chris Rosvoglou of The Spun before the draft that he must work on avoiding "risky throws that you could get away with in college" before he's ready to face live pro defenses in meaningful games. 

"He understands the things he has to get better at," Mayo said about Maye. "And with coaching and hard work and the coaches we have, the support system from ownership, I think he has the chance to go out there and play at a high level. You talk about potential all you want to, but until you reach it, it doesn’t matter. We do know the man. We know the man is a hard worker, and he’s going to do everything he can to be successful."

Mark Daniels of MassLive noted in a piece published Friday morning how the Patriots "ruined" 2021 first-round draft pick Mac Jones via multiple miscues. 

Letting Maye learn as a backup before the club adds needed weapons to its offense next offseason could ultimately be the best way to ensure New England's latest rookie signal-caller isn't shipped out of town roughly three years down the road.