Scouts, analysts sound split on draft stock of Drake Maye

One unnamed AFC offensive coach is among those who have compared North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye to Los Angeles Chargers starter Justin Herbert.

A scout told NFL reporter Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post that Maye "is more" like New York Giants signal-caller Daniel Jones than Herbert. While Herbert is thought to be one of the top young quarterbacks in the NFL, the Giants may move on from Jones after the 2024 season. 

"His arm is not live like Justin’s, but he is mobile and you can move the pocket or do some designed runs with him," the scout said about Maye. 

The Chicago Bears are expected to make USC quarterback Caleb Williams the draft's first pick. LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels continues to be linked with the Washington Commanders at selection No. 2, but some have predicted that Maye could leapfrog Daniels on draft night.

ESPN NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. is among those who think any team that drafts Maye should be ready to sit him throughout his rookie season. As of early Wednesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Maye as the betting favorite at +100 odds to be the draft's third choice. The New England Patriots currently own pick No. 3 and are routinely linked with Maye in mock drafts. 

"Not as much in terms of the accuracy," Kiper told Dunleavy about Maye-Herbert comparisons. "That’s the one thing that was off this year. [Maye] looks the part of Herbert physically and athletically, but he didn’t play like him. He was missing some open receivers, he was off-target with some balls that were caught that weren’t thrown precisely…to maximize yards after the catch. He didn’t play his best football late in the year." 

Some have likened Maye to Buffalo Bills starter Josh Allen and have predicted that the New York Giants could move up from pick No. 6 to No. 3 to take Maye. Giants head coach Brian Daboll was Allen's offensive coordinator from 2018-21. 

"Drake has a really strong arm, but he doesn’t have Josh Allen’s arm strength. Nobody does," Kiper explained. "[Fixing accuracy] is footwork and tying everything together…but history tells us you can improve arm strength and accuracy when you are in the league." 

Kiper added that Maye "is just not ready" to be an NFL QB1 at this stage of his development. If even a few teams agree with Kiper, it's possible Maye could ultimately fall to the Giants at pick No. 6. Meanwhile, the Patriots could take Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the third selection.