The last time the Patriots drafted a quarterback in the first round, it didn’t work out so well. After an encouraging rookie season, things quickly went downhill for Mac Jones, who was traded away after just three seasons in New England. Last year, he went 2-9 and got benched multiple times.
The Greg Hill Show reacts to Patriots picking Drake Maye
With Bill Belichick gone and a new leadership team in Foxboro led by de facto general manager Eliot Wolf and head coach Jerod Mayo, the Patriots took another crack at finding their quarterback of the future Thursday night, drafting Drake Maye with the third overall pick.
Understandably, there’s some trepidation among some Patriots fans who believe the team still doesn’t have enough help in place offensively for a young quarterback to succeed.
On The Greg Hill Show Friday morning, producer Chris Curtis said he falls in that camp.
“Even if Drake Maye’s good, which he may be, he’s not gonna be good with the Patriots’ roster and with their offensive line and with [offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt],” Curtis said. “…I don’t have a lot of faith that he’ll be successful here.”
Co-host and former Patriot Jermaine Wiggins is more optimistic, though, saying that simply getting more enthusiastic support from his coaches – something Jones didn’t get from Belichick – will go a long way towards Maye succeeding.
“The thing that’s different between Mac Jones and what you’re potentially gonna get with Drake Maye,” Wiggy explained, “is if the coaching is like, ‘Don’t worry about mistakes. You’re our guy. We’re telling the world every week that he’s our guy.’”
Greg Hill followed up: “That’s what you get by not having Bill there? Your opinion is that Bill ruined Mac Jones mentally?”
“He didn’t help him,” Wiggy said. “So with a guy like Drake Maye, it’s like anything else – if your boss is saying, ‘Don’t worry about mistakes, go out there and play and whatever happens, happens, but you’re our guy.’ If you’re telling the world that he’s our guy, the confidence level is like, ‘Maybe I’m gonna struggle week-to-week, but at least I know I’m their guy,’ and he’s gonna learn on the job.”