What would Patriots get in the event that they draft QB Drake Maye at No. 3?

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Fast-hit ideas and notes across the New England Patriots and NFL:

1. Maye day: When Phil Longo was offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach on the College of North Carolina from 2019 to 2022, he remembers what unfolded when the college was recruiting Drake Maye, whose household has deep ties to the college.

Maye and then-incumbent Tar Heels quarterback Sam Howell ended up on reverse ends of a pingpong desk and it became a marathon match.

“They stayed on the home till 2 within the morning as a result of neither needed to go away till they have been forward. You simply could not get them out of the home. In some unspecified time in the future, we needed to go in there and kick them out,” Longo advised ESPN.

“I bear in mind feeling like ‘We’re recruiting the fitting individuals’ as a result of that is what you want out of your quarterback. A man who cannot stand dropping and goes to struggle to the top of the sport. I used to be already capable of say that about Sam, then I used to be very lucky to have one other one [in Maye].”

Howell went on to grow to be a fifth-round decide of the Washington Commanders within the 2022 NFL draft. This 12 months, Maye is projected to go earlier. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. slotted Maye to the Patriots at No. 3 in his first mock draft.

So what ought to Patriots followers find out about Maye?

Longo begins with the quarterback’s basketball background as a result of he believes it is what makes him a singular prospect.

“There is a longstanding historical past of basketball in his household and it is actually what performs into him being as athletic as he’s. You have a look at him, and he is a tall, lanky quarterback [6-foot-4, 230 pounds]. I do not suppose simply taking a look at him that you’d initially suppose he is as athletic as he’s,” he stated.

“I am definitely not saying he is Patrick Mahomes, however he’s in that mould. Mahomes has his personal distinctive form of physique type; the way in which he walks and carries himself. Drake is a bit of totally different. He has actually, actually good toes. He can contort his physique in plenty of other ways and make throws. He can throw offplatform extraordinarily effectively — higher than you’d suppose. That is without doubt one of the issues that I feel separates him from some others. It will likely be attention-grabbing to see the way it interprets at [the NFL] degree, however he additionally was an distinctive runner on the school degree.”

Longo’s attack-minded offense — which pulls parallels to the late Mike Leach’s Air Raid system — introduced out the perfect in Maye in 2022, his first season as a full-time starter. Maye was 342-for-517 for 4,321 yards, with 38 landing passes and 7 interceptions. He added 653 dashing yards on 172 carries and 7 touchdowns.

Longo moved on to grow to be Wisconsin’s offensive coordinator in 2023 and Maye wasn’t as productive in his second season as a starter, ending 269-for-425 for 3,608 yards, with 24 landing passes and 9 interceptions. He additionally had 449 dashing yards on 112 carries and 9 touchdowns.

The important thing traits that intrigue NFL groups, nevertheless, did not change.

“He has good arm power, good imaginative and prescient and he is very, very clever. He’s very constant along with his decision-making,” Longo stated. “He’s aggressive whenever you give him some freedom with reference to checking a route or performs. He is , total-package child.”

Maye’s father, Mark, performed soccer at UNC (1983-87). His brother Luke performed basketball on the college (2015-19) and received a nationwide championship, and one other brother, Beau, was a walk-on for the Tar Heels within the 2022-23 season. One other brother, Cole, received a baseball nationwide title at Florida.

Longo stated he believes that Maye’s expertise rising up in an “ultra-sport-driven household” fed his aggressive nature, which is the kind of factor NFL scouts ask him about as a lot, if no more, than what they see on the sphere.

“The vast majority of the questions are in regards to the issues you’ll be able to’t see on movie. What’s the character of the child? Is he obsessive about the sport? Does he have pure management skill? If he does, what’s it? Is he a quiet man that’s going to show and mentor and coach guys? Is he a yeller and a screamer?” Longo defined.

“Matt Corral, who we had at Ole Miss, wore all his feelings on his sleeve. You knew how he was feeling simply by taking a look at him. That is how he performed and it is what made him good. Then Sam [Howell] was the alternative. He was cool, calm, collected — the home is on fireplace and it would not matter, he’ll deal with the issue, assess it and handle it.

“Then Drake is form of in-between — you’ll be able to inform when he is fired up, when he is blissful, when he is disillusioned with himself, when he would not like a name. However it was by no means so drastic that he will get off that midline of being composed or poised that it might have an effect on him emotionally within the sport. He is very mature.”

2. Teaching follow-ups: First-year Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo famous in a Monday interview on sports activities radio WEEI that his high precedence is to construct his teaching employees. He moved the soccer ahead on protection with the anticipated promotion of line of defense coach DeMarcus Covington, and now the main target turns to offense and particular groups.

At this level, the vast majority of interviews with coaches from different groups have been over video convention and described extra as preliminary conversations. Thus, the subsequent step is flying candidates who made a robust preliminary impression into city for in-person interviews, which ought to shift the hiring course of into a better gear this week.

Those that have reportedly already spoken with Mayo, or plan to take action, embrace Thomas Brown (Panthers OC), Nick Caley (Rams TEs), Tanner Engstrand (Lions passing sport coordinator), Brian Fleury (49ers TEs), Luke Getsy (Bears OC), Jerrod Johnson (Texans QBs), Thomas McGaughey (Giants STs), Dan Pitcher (Bengals QBs/stays in Cincinnati), Zac Robinson (Rams QBs), Jeremy Springer (Rams assistant particular groups) and Marquice Williams (Falcons STs/stays with Falcons).

Caley, the previous longtime Patriots tight ends coach who interviewed for the group’s offensive coordinator job in 2022, is seen by some near the method as well-positioned to in the end lead the offense.

3. Belichick’s motivation: Tom Brady had the “Brady 6” — the six quarterbacks chosen earlier than him within the 2000 draft who all the time served as a motivating issue. Now Invoice Belichick has the “Belichick 7” — the seven franchises (apart from the Patriots) that had head-coaching openings this offseason and elected to rent others (assuming Seattle and Washington achieve this). These accustomed to Belichick’s pondering relay that he believes having no job is a greater outcome than a job that wasn’t the fitting match. So it appears protected to say he’ll be motivated to search out the fitting one sooner or later.

4. Mayo leftovers: Among the many leftover nuggets of observe from Mayo’s preliminary radio interview:

• He has but to maneuver into Belichick’s outdated workplace. “I will get there sooner or later,” he stated.

• Director of participant personnel Matt Groh and director of scouting Eliot Wolf have primarily helped him via the interview course of with constructing a employees.

• Of Belichick, he stated: “I really feel like Coach nonetheless has loads left within the tank. I want him nothing however the perfect.”

• Of Steve and Brian Belichick probably staying: “I’ve relationship with each of them. They’re nice coaches.”

• He is not positive what longtime particular groups captain Matthew Slater is planning on doing in 2024.

• Summing up his type: “It is in regards to the gamers. One factor I took away from Coach Belichick is gamers win video games and coaches lose video games. We will speak all we need to about scheme and what we need to do, but when you do not have gamers on the market which have a shared imaginative and prescient, it may be onerous to attain factors. … We’ll stay a game-plan group. No matter we’ve got to do to make the opposite group play ‘left-handed’ — offensive, defensive and particular teams-wise — that is all the time been the objective.”

5. Scouting path: With Senior Bowl practices scheduled for this week, Troy Brown (receivers/returners) is the one Patriots coach scheduled to be available, barring a late change of plans. Brown was dedicated to attend as one of many Senior Bowl offensive coordinators, offering him an opportunity to realize extra expertise, in a choice made earlier than the Patriots’ teaching change from Belichick to Mayo. As for Mayo, staying behind in Foxborough provides him an opportunity to drill down on finalizing his teaching employees.

6. Jordan’s versatility: Working again Dion Lewis is without doubt one of the high examples of a Patriots “futures” signing paying off (2015), and whereas these have been extra of the exception, here is one factor that fifth-year offensive lineman Michael Jordan has going for him after signing with New England final Wednesday — versatility. The 6-foot-6, 315-pound Jordan has primarily performed guard in video games, however the Packers had him work principally at heart in practices in 2023 and the Panthers had additionally experimented with him at deal with in preseason video games.

7. Stewart’s intel: Proprietor Robert Kraft careworn the collaborative method the Patriots hope to undertake in 2024, and the Jordan signing — albeit a modest one — displays a part of what he was mentioning. If Patriots senior personnel adviser Patrick Stewart wasn’t on employees, my understanding is that it most likely would not occur. Stewart was director of participant personnel/VP of participant personnel at Carolina from 2020 to 2022, a stretch when Jordan began 10 video games for the Panthers.

8. Unusual’s offseason: With beginning left guard Cole Unusual having undergone knee surgical procedure, which places him on extra of a rehabilitation observe this offseason, it highlights the significance of the group constructing high quality depth. Jake Andrews, the 2023 fourth-round decide from Troy, completed the season at left guard. Atonio Mafi, the 2023 fifth-round decide from UCLA, was the preliminary high alternative. Now Jordan provides another choice.

9. JuJu checks in: Patriots huge receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who missed the final three video games of the season with an ankle damage and by no means appeared absolutely wholesome when he joined the group, was one of many few gamers exhibiting up at Gillette Stadium final week. He is scheduled to earn $7 million in assured cash in 2024 and depend $10.2 million in opposition to the wage cap, so the Patriots hope to obtain extra return on their funding than they did final season (29 catches, 260 yards, 1 TD).

10. Do you know? The Patriots have drafted simply six gamers from the College of North Carolina — heart Rip Hawkins (second spherical, 1961), guard Ron Wooten (sixth, 1981), cornerback Jimmy Hitchcock (third, 1995), security Dexter Reid (fourth, 2004), receiver Brandon Tate (third, 2009) and nostril deal with Tim Goad (fourth, 1988).