Patriots coach Jerod Mayo says rookie QB Drake Maye 'has a lot to work on'

Rookie Drake Maye is the latest attempt for the New England Patriots to find a long-term successor at quarterback following Tom Brady's run of greatness.

His coach says he still has a long way to go.

"Early impressions of Drake: look, he has a lot to work on, a lot to work on," head coach Jerod Mayo said Saturday before New England's first rookie minicamp practice. "I have no doubt that he will put the time in. You guys didn't see him out here yesterday, but he was here all night trying to get on the same page as everyone else."

This assessment, while perhaps tempering expectations, is not uncommon for a coach to make about a rookie quarterback transitioning to the NFL.

Maye was New England's No. 3 overall selection in the 2024 NFL draft out of North Carolina, after the team moved on from its previous attempt to find a franchise quarterback, 2021 No. 15 overall pick Mac Jones. The Patriots traded Jones to the Jaguars in March for a sixth-round draft pick, and Maye has already replaced Jones in one way, wearing Jones' old jersey number − No. 10 − at New England's rookie minicamp.

While New England had its rookies in on Friday for evaluations off the field, the team's practices, at this point in the offseason workout program, are rather limited. Patriots players were in shorts and jerseys with their helmets, so there are rules against contact during on-field workouts. Typically, the sessions are geared more toward fundamentals and timing, especially since the team's veteran players are not present. There are also restrictions on the amount of time coaches can spend with players in meetings and film work.

"It just comes down to time," Mayo continued. "That's the biggest hurdle. You work under some of these Phase 2, Phase 3 rules and you don't have as much time as you want to, so you can't have those conversations, but, look, hard work works. We talk about it all the time. He's working hard."

According to reporters on hand for New England's Saturday practice, Maye split reps with fellow rookie, Joe Milton III, a sixth-round selection out of Tennessee.

"It's been good, kind of the first day feeling it out and just getting more and more reps," Maye said, according to ESPN. "That's all something new takes − getting more reps at it. I felt pretty good out there today, so just have to keep working."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Drake Maye has work to do, Patriots coach Jerod Mayo says of rookie QB