Patriots reportedly sending large contingent to Drake Maye's Pro Day
Patriots reportedly sending large contingent to Drake Maye's Pro Day originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots will get a comprehensive look at their potential quarterback of the future Thursday.
The Patriots are sending nine members of their organization to the University of North Carolina's Pro Day on Thursday afternoon to scout star quarterback Drake Maye, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reports, adding that the Patriots will meet with Maye in the morning before he goes through workouts.
Patriots will meet with UNC QB Drake Maye ahead of his Pro Day this AM, per sources. Nine guys from New England in Chapel Hill today: Eliot Wolf, Jerod Mayo, Alex Van Pelt, Matt Groh, Pat Stewart, Alonzo Highsmith, TC McCartney, Ben McAdoo & Matt Evans (8 of 9 were also at LSU).
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 28, 2024
Per Breer, the New England contingent at Chapel Hill will include de facto general manager Eliot Wolf, head coach Jerod Mayo, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, director of player personnel Matt Groh, senior personnel advisor Pat Stewart, senior personnel executive Alonzo Highsmith, quarterbacks coach T.C. McCartney, senior offensive assistant Ben McAdoo and national scout Matt Evans.
Eight of those nine staffers attended LSU's Pro Day on Wednesday to watch Daniels, per Breer. With the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Patriots will have the opportunity to select either Maye or LSU QB Jayden Daniels (assuming Caleb Williams goes No. 1 overall to the Chicago Bears), and it appears they're devoting plenty of resources to both players.
In a sign of their interest in Maye and Daniels compared to other quarterbacks, the Patriots are sending just four staffers to Washington's Pro Day on Thursday watch Michael Penix Jr., per Breer.
... Patriots college scouting director Cam Williams was the one who didn't make the trip from Baton Rouge to Chapel Hill. Instead, Williams went to Washington, where he'll lead a group of four NE scouts at Michael Penix's Pro Day.
(The Commanders meet with Maye this AM as well.)— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 28, 2024
The Patriots have spoken very highly of Maye in the pre-draft process to date, with Mayo noting the 21-year-old had a "fantastic" interview with New England at the NFL Scouting Combine in late February.
"He brings a lot of energy. You can tell he has that leadership ability," Mayo said of Maye at the NFL owners' meetings on Monday. "And also the exciting part about a guy like Drake Maye is the ceiling. Like, there's really no ceiling with a guy like that."
While Michigan's J.J. McCarthy has been rising up draft boards, the 6-foot-4, 229-pound Maye has been viewed as a top-three quarterback for much of the draft process and would be hard for the Patriots to pass on if he's available at No. 3.
