As I listen to the daily draft chatter, Drake Maye seems to be falling out of

[MightyGiants]

favor.


The 33rd Team
@The33rdTeamFB
"There is no question he possesses the physical traits to develop into a quality NFL QB with a chance to be one of 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩."

@gregcosell
's scouting report on UNC QB Drake Maye ✍️

𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗧𝗛𝗦

- Desirable combination of size, throwing ability and athleticism. Possesses the needed traits of an NFL QB.
- Easy natural thrower with minimal effort. Could drive the ball down the field: Knee bend, hips and core torque.
- Explosive arm talent with the traits to make every throw. Can drive the ball at all levels with velocity and touch.
- Aggressively worked between the hashes with refined sense of timing and anticipation, velocity and firm touch.
- Threw with velocity when demanded and pace and touch when needed.
- Showed subtle pocket movement with two hands on the ball. Re-set his throwing platform with a firm base.
- Good athlete who can make second reaction plays, throwing and running. Also designed QB run game.
-Second reaction playmaking dimension with outstanding poise and composure outside the pocket on the move.
- Strong mental framework reflected in that bad plays did not affect him. Came right back and made good plays.
- 2023 – It is evident from tape that Maye can execute a drop back passing game with efficiency at all levels.
- Outstanding go ball and fade ball thrower, with precise ball placement, especially with no margin for error.
- Showed poise and composure to trust and work comfortably through progressions. Stayed sound in the pocket.
- Snaps he started to move then re-settled, getting his feet under him with a firm base and delivering cleanly.
- Consistently played with a calm helmet. It was evident he knew what he was seeing and how to process it.
- Poise and patience to move within the pocket when primary read was taken away to work to secondary reads.

𝗪𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗦

- At times, he drifted in the pocket to his left when there was no pressure and no reason to move off the mid-line.
- Consistently showed a tendency to drift rather than stay in the pocket. Created his own pressure at times.
- At times, he was tentative in the pocket. He did not turn it loose when throws were there. Must become more decisive.
- Too many dropbacks in which he left throws on the field. Needs to process and isolate quicker from the pocket.
- At this point, he lacks a refined sense of timing-anticipation, resulting in throws that aren't made that should be.
- 2023 – Still showed tendency at times not to register and process reads, leaving clean throws on the field.
- Still too many snaps he drifted to his left when there was no pressure.
- There were a few too many misreads where he didn't process the route concept versus the coverage correctly.
- Needs to develop a better feel for pocket movement rather than running out of the pocket. Higher-level trait.
- While he threw outstanding deep ball, must become more location precise on intermediate and shorter throws.

https://x.com/The33rdTeamFB/status/1773338630267761105?s=20

[Philosophers]

The things listed above that Maye supposedly scare me sound like DJ things which I dont want to see again.  Mental processing miscues.  No thanks.

[UKGiantsFan]

Yeah but his Pro Day is today and his is the last one of "the big four". I'd imagine we'll hear about him non-stop for a week thereafter 

[H-Town G-Fan]

Maybe if he only threw it 10-15 times per game there'd be less tape to be critical of his processing? If he falls to 6, I'd take him, but I don't see it happening.

[MightyGiants]

Maybe if he only threw it 10-15 times per game there'd be less tape to be critical of his processing? If he falls to 6, I'd take him, but I don't see it happening.

There are many ways to evaluate a QB, but this particular way (he threw too many passes, that's why he looks flawed) wouldn't be among the ways I would choose to evaluate one.

[MightyGiants]

https://x.com/AlbertBreer/status/1773353428330180734?s=20

[H-Town G-Fan]

There are many ways to evaluate a QB, but this particular way (he threw too many passes, that's why he looks flawed) wouldn't be among the ways I would choose to evaluate one.

It was a lighthearted joke about McCarthy being immunized from potentially similar volume-based criticism.

I do think Maye is somewhat the victim of prospect fatigue and this is the time of year where hopeful teams farther down in the draft order start putting out their disinformation to try and cause drops on desirable targets.

[MightyGiants]

It was a lighthearted joke about McCarthy being immunized from potentially similar volume-based criticism.

I do think Maye is somewhat the victim of prospect fatigue and this is the time of year where hopeful teams farther down in the draft order start putting out their disinformation to try and cause drops on desirable targets.

McCarthy attempted 713 passes in college.  He has done so against some of the best defenses in college and in high-pressure situations.   I'm not sure how one couldn't evaluate a man with that body of work.

As for Maye, I keep hearing that he is scattered shot in his throwing, while others point to generally poor performances when he faces quality teams.

I personally wouldn't rule out Maye becoming a quality NFL QB, but I am sharing that when the draft season started, there was some talk that Maye should be the number one prospect, and since then, there seems to be a steady decline in how he is viewed (sort of a reverse of JJ McCarthy).

I find far too many in the draftnik and fan communities are production scouts rather than projection (of NLF caliber traits) scouts.  With Maye, it's not hard to see he has an NFL-plus caliber arm and good size, as well as the upside expectations that come with being younger and less experienced.

[uconnjack8]

Is it the interviews changing some minds?

[MightyGiants]

Here is a deeper dive by Greg

https://www.the33rdteam.com/drake-maye-nfl-draft-2024-combine-results-scouting-report-for-north-carolina-qb/


There is also a video by former NFL QB Chase Daniels on Maye

https://www.the33rdteam.com/daniel-very-raw-drake-maye-not-ready-to-start-in-nfl/

[Jolly Blue Giant]

I read somewhere several weeks ago by some beat writer (so this info is useless) that Maye is DJ 2.0 

[Puffy]

This is same thing that happened to Josh Allen.  After College Football season ended it was thought that Allen would be top 4 pick. Then everyone started picking nits and Allen fell.  Right before draft the buzz picked up a little again and he only fell to 7.

Not saying that Maye is Allen....but this type of over-analysis happens every year.  Lamar fell almost entirely out of first round after being projected Top 10 or 12 when season ended.

[londonblue]

As Mighty notes elsewhere this draft has more QBs of interest and more teams in need than in the last couple of years. This inevitably increases media and fan interest.

That means more words. Lots of opinions. Lots of conflicting points of view. Complete contradictions (eg the Giants are simultaneously set at QB and done with our QB).

Each day more and more smoke rolls across the football universe, obscuring reality from view. There are articles, tweets, tv sound bites and pod casts/video hot takes supporting every opinion imaginable (and a few so wild they might better belong on a satirical late night comedy show).

We will get to see the reality in four weeks time. Until then we all have our opinion which is great providing we don't try to pass it off as fact. FWIW I think it is 90% likely we take either a QB or WR in R1 but I still see a 10% chance of a trade back with a CB being our pick...so watch us draft a tackle!

[Ed Vette]

As Mighty notes elsewhere this draft has more QBs of interest and more teams in need than in the last couple of years. This inevitably increases media and fan interest.

That means more words. Lots of opinions. Lots of conflicting points of view. Complete contradictions (eg the Giants are simultaneously set at QB and done with our QB).

Each day more and more smoke rolls across the football universe, obscuring reality from view. There are articles, tweets, tv sound bites and pod casts/video hot takes supporting every opinion imaginable (and a few so wild they might better belong on a satirical late night comedy show).

We will get to see the reality in four weeks time. Until then we all have our opinion which is great providing we don't try to pass it off as fact. FWIW I think it is 90% likely we take either a QB or WR in R1 but I still see a 10% chance of a trade back with a CB being our pick...so watch us draft a tackle!

Or a Cornerback.

[Philosophers]

At the end of the day the things you cant teach a QB are accuracy, mental processing speed, awareness and confidence.  They have to have it themselves.  All this other stuff like throws off a good platform is noise.  If he's accurate, he can throw it standing on his head for all I care.  Joe Milton has great mechanics yet he can't hit an oak tree from 15 yards out.