Teams at the top of the draft took swings at the quarterback position. Of the six drafted in round one, two quarterbacks landed in perfect situations.
Two Quarterbacks Landed In Perfect Situations Through the Draft
Maye The New Era Begin
The New England Patriots kickstarted a new era of football by drafting Drake Maye. After an abysmal 2023 season, the team needed an upgrade at the position. Maye entered his final season at North Carolina as a top quarterback prospect and did not fail to deliver. While some saw his dip in production last season as cause for concern, the tape didn’t lie with Maye. With one of the strongest arms in the draft, Maye made plenty of splash plays throughout his college career.
New England approached this off-season with a plan at quarterback. By hiring Alex Van Pelt as the offensive coordinator and bringing back Jacoby Brissett, the team set itself up for drafting Maye. While Maye has the tools to come in and play right away, it seems more likely that the team will allow him to sit and learn for a year. Teams that have recently taken this approach have seen the results pay off down the road. By following the model used by the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs, the Patriots can allow Maye to develop properly.
Van Pelt has experience working with quarterbacks and his expertise should help Maye blossom. Over the years, he has overseen the development of players like Aaron Rodgers and Baker Mayfield. While Mayfield flamed out in Cleveland, Van Pelt coaxed quality play out of Jacoby Brissett while Deshaun Watson was serving his suspension in 2022. The pairing of Maye and Van Pelt gives the Patriots something to build on as they reset their roster.
Daniels Gives Commanders Juice
With a strong draft, the Commanders could enter 2024 as a sneaky playoff team. By drafting Daniels, the team got their first pick correct. Washington has been lacking stability and juice at the quarterback position for years. Not since Robert Griffin III has the team had a game-breaker at quarterback. Daniels happens to resemble Griffin in several ways. Both players were electric runners at the college level. Both players displayed tremendous arm strength on deep throws. Daniels and Griffin also share a similar frame, which could create problems for the Commanders if Daniels gets hurt.
Washington did add depth to their offensive line in free agency, which should help Daniels stay upright and maintain a solid trajectory with his development. Kliff Kingsbury has architected explosive offensive attacks at his different stops, and he and Daniels should make a perfect pairing. Over the years, Kingsbury has worked with mobile quarterbacks like Kyler Murray and Caleb Williams. He should have no problem coaxing high-level play out of Daniels, who is incredibly mobile and accurate on throws outside the numbers.
Players drafted at the top of round one often go to teams with decimated rosters, but this is not the case for Daniels. With Jahan Dotson and Terry McLaurin at receiver, Daniels has solid weapons to start his NFL career. By landing in Washington, Daniels found a perfect pairing in the draft.
More must-reads: