With the number two pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Washington Commanders are standing on the doorstep of solving a problem that has hauntingly remained unsolved for the better part of the last 30 years.
Over the last six months, three quarterback names have risen to the top. Of those three, one of them will be on the board when Washington steps up to the podium on April 25th in Detroit to pick 2nd overall, and all indications point to the Commanders taking a quarterback.
So, let’s take a deep dive into one of those possible answers for Washington and see what UNC Quarterback Drake Maye brings to the table.
Maye entered the UNC program as a five-star recruit from Myers Park High School in Charlotte, North Carolina. He took over the starting role in 2022 after beating Jacolby Criswell for the job, replacing former UNC Quarterback Sam Howell, who departed for the NFL Draft. In his first season as the starter at UNC, Maye was a quick hit, throwing for 38 touchdowns and only nine interceptions.
His accolades in the 2022 season included ACC Player of the Year, ACC Offensive Player of the Year, ACC Rookie of the Year, and First-team All-ACC. Standing at 6’3′ and 230 pounds, Maye’s arrival to the NFL brings one lucky team an ideal-size QB. But for his size, Maye brings a combination of athleticism, mobility, and arm strength that is hard to find in young quarterbacks and is one of the key reasons he is seen as one of the premier options in the draft. Maye is a fluid pocket mover who can move laterally across the line of scrimmage to extend plays. His ability to pass on the move, more specifically, his deep passing on the move, fills his YouTube highlight reels and has undoubtedly grabbed the attention of scouts and draft experts
alike.
Maye’s 2023 season statistically wasn’t as sharp as his first year, and a few bad losses for UNC stand out as reasons to question whether he should be taken over a player like Jayden Daniels from LSU should that be a choice when Washington picks at 2. However, several positive key traits solidified for Maye as the season progressed. He excels in pushing the ball downfield with accuracy and power, combining that with a low turnover rate. He has thrown a combined 16 interceptions throughout the last two seasons. Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills threw 18 interceptions this past year alone.
Maye’s athleticism isn’t just a buzzword either; he found production on the ground during his time at UNC. His season-opening performance against NC State included 254 yards for two touchdowns through the air, with 109 yards rushing and a touchdown on the ground. A dual threat with a solid pocket passing arm is something the Commanders last saw over a decade
ago in 2012.
NFL Comparison: Justin Herbert
“He is a physically and athletically gifted quarterback,” ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper said about Oregon QB Justin Herbert before the 2019 NFL Draft. He added, “Herbert has ideal size, big-time arm, mobility, incredibly smart. Yeah, there are times he holds the ball too long, and his accuracy sometimes is a little inconsistent. You have to roll the dice on a kid with that much talent and that much upside.”
This description perfectly describes Drake Maye, who rarely struggles with accuracy issues. UNC undoubtedly ended their 2023 season with a whimper, losing their last three games, including the Dukes Mayo Bowl to West Virginia. But the stats only tell part of the story about what Maye will bring to the NFL.
My NFL comparison brings me to Justin Herbert. In four years in Oregon, Herberts never threw for over 3,500 yards. But, like Maye, his big frame and rocket arm were enough for the Los Angeles Chargers to keep him on the West Coast and take him in the first round.
Will Maye turn into the next Justin Herbert?
Of course, we won’t know that for sure. But size, speed, strength, accuracy, and poise are all attributes that they share, and those attributes will likely mean that UNC’s Drake Maye won’t make it outside of the top five draft picks in April.