NFL Analyst Touts Drake Maye When Revisiting 2024 Draft Class

The New England Patriots watched two quarterbacks go off the board before drafting Drake Maye last year. Seven weeks into the 2025 season, Maye has arguably jumped to the head of the class.

Maye enters Week 8 tied with Jared Goff for the highest quarterback rating (116.4) among anyone who’s started every game. A dominant stretch has catapulted the Patriots into contention and the second-year star into the MVP picture.

Is Maye leaping ahead as the league’s best sophomore? NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks thinks so, putting Maye first when ranking the top-10 players from the 2024 draft class.

“Maye has captivated the football world with a spectacular start to his second season, spawning conversation that he could soon join the big four at quarterback (Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow),” Brooks said. “Obviously, the 23-year-old needs to keep this up in order to reach such rarefied air, but he has made a quantum leap under the direction of new head coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.”

Brooks noted Maye’s NFL-leading 75.2 completion rating and “ridiculous” perfect passer rating on throws with 20-plus air yards. He doesn’t think the loudening MVP talk is premature.

“With the 5-2 Patriots sitting alone atop the AFC East, Maye has entered the MVP discussion and surpassed his peers as the QB1 of a stacked 2024 crop at the position,” Brooks wrote.

It’s lofty praise considering the competition. Jayden Daniels took the Washington Commanders to the NFC Championship Game as a rookie, and the No. 2 pick still has a 97.7 quarterback rating to start a somewhat disappointing follow-up campaign.

Brooks ranked Daniels second, but Caleb Williams is down to No. 7. While last year’s first pick has improved under Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson, the former Heisman Trophy winner has yet to prove why scouts envisoned him as a generational quarterback prospect.