The post Bill Belichick gives candid assessment of Drake Maye after preseason appeared first on NBC Sports Boston
New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye performed well during the preseason, especially in the final game against the Washington Commanders.
In the game against the Commanders, he completed 13 of 20 passes for 126 yards, one touchdown and zero turnovers. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft also showed off his athleticism by running 17 yards on third down to pick up a first down.
Considering Maye also performed well in the second preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles, there were plenty of positive signs for the Patriots regarding their future franchise quarterback.
But not everyone was so impressed with May.
Former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick offered a blunt assessment of Maye’s preseason performance earlier this week.
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“I like his size and his arm. I think his inexperience was apparent in the preseason, as it was a little bit in North Carolina,” Belichick said of Maye on his new show, “Coach on Underdog Fantasy.” “And I think he needs to get more experience in terms of reading coverage, overall throwing mechanics and consistency. Is he a big, fast guy? Yes, but I think it takes more than that to play quarterback in the National Football League.”
How can Maye prove he’s ready to be a starter at the professional level?
“The expectation with a quarterback at this level is to be able to throw checkdowns to backs, to throw slant routes to wide receivers and hit wide-open seams,” Belichick said, “and we all have plays we’d like to get back on track with, but those are some of the things we need to work on.”
“Based on what we’ve seen in the preseason, I think Mayet probably has more of those abilities than other quarterbacks, although it’s a limited sample, of course.”
Incidentally, Belichick also criticized No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams this week, who showed flashes of great potential with the Chicago Bears during the preseason.
The Patriots appear to be taking their sweet time with Meyer. Late last month, they named Jacoby Brissett the Week 1 starter, but our insider Phil Perry reports that the Patriots “gave Meyer more snaps than would normally be considered a backup during his first regular-season week as a pro.”
The decision to start Brissett was supported by many, including former Patriots players Tom Brady, Devin McCourty and Brian Hoyer, but while the veteran is the starter for now, there’s a chance we could see Maye on the field at some point this season. Experience is often the best teacher.
Kickoff between the Patriots and Bengals is scheduled for 1:00 PM ET on Sunday.