Scout's view: North Carolina QB Drake Maye has traits similar to GOAT

Maye's football savvy jumps out on his game film. 

"He's real smart," Brown said of the high school valedictorian, per on3.com. "He knows how to win."

Maye, who threw for 4,321 yards and 38 touchdowns last season, is second on my pre-season quarterback draft board, behind South Carolina's Spencer Rattler. Among QBs I give a first-round grade, he had the second-highest college career completion percentage (66.2), behind only Rattler (68.4). Maye's game on Sept. 2 against South Carolina and Rattler promises to be must-see TV. 

Here are the three attributes I like best from Maye after studying all his snaps from last season.

1. Competitiveness

A come-from behind victory over Wake Forest last November was Maye's nation-leading sixth second-half comeback win. That also conjured up memories of TB12, who engineered 46 fourth-quarter comebacks during his NFL career.

Competitiveness also leaps from the film from Maye, who had the second-highest rushing attempts of any college QB in the country last season (183). But unlike Southern Cal QB Caleb Williams — whom I give a second-round grade — Maye runs out of necessity when things break down. Williams, on the other hand, often holds the football too long and runs around too much to create "playmaking" opportunities. 

Maye — who was sacked 40 times last season — often takes matters into his own hands, attempting to squeeze something out of nothing on the ground. He must learn how to consistently slide or duck out of bounds to avoid injury. 

2. Protecting the football

Maye kept the football out of harm's way better than the other 28 college QBs I studied this summer. He had 27 passes disrupted in 14 games, a 1.93 average. This is the best average of the group of first-round QBs who played substantial minutes in 2022, a list that consists of Washington State's Cameron Ward (2.38), Florida State's Jordan Travis (2.46), Texas' Quinn Ewers' (2.5), Rattler (2.83) and Utah's Cameron Rising (3.4).  

It's also worth noting that of the 517 passes Maye threw last season, only seven were intercepted — a 1-to-73.9 ratio, which is excellent. 

3. Pro readiness

Maye, who I project as a Day 1 starter, is a polished plug-and-play NFL prospect. 

His release is not a fast as Brady's, which can lead to sacks, but he's poised while navigating the pocket and going through his progressions. Maye sees the field well, illustrated by how he has distributes the ball accurately at all three route levels (short, intermediate and deep). Six different North Carolina players produced 20+ catches last season. 

Maye is accurate throwing while rolling out to his left or right. 

Bottom line

Maye bears watching after ending last season on a four-game losing streak, but he won nine of his first 10 starts. All things considered, he has the makings of a franchise QB.