Former QB compares Patriots' Drake Maye to Pro Bowler

NFL analyst and retired quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is among those who believe New England Patriots rookie Drake Maye could follow in the footsteps of a certain Los Angeles Chargers star. 

"To me, he's a lot like Justin Herbert," Hasselbeck said about Maye during a recent conversation with Mike Reiss of ESPN. "So if you like Justin Herbert, I think you'll like Drake Maye. And I really like Justin Herbert." 

Multiple analysts compared Maye to Herbert and to Buffalo Bills starter Josh Allen before New England made the North Carolina product the third overall pick of this year's draft. It's now known that the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants both explored moving up to choice No. 3 to take Maye, but the Patriots stayed put and landed who they hope will become the long-term replacement for Tom Brady that New England has needed since March 2020. 

Herbert won the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award for the 2020 campaign, is a one-time Pro Bowl selection and is widely viewed as one of the top young quarterbacks in the NFL. According to Pro-Football-Reference stats, Herbert ended last season ranked fifth in the league with a 64.1 adjusted QBR. 

"I think his best football is ahead of him," Hasselbeck said about Maye. "I love his personality. I love his demeanor. I love his toughness. I love his athleticism. Athleticism can get you in trouble sometimes, and it doesn't always translate from college to the NFL, but I think his athleticism does. I think, more than anything, I think I really like the person. He has a contagious thing about him."

Herbert made 15 starts as a rookie, but the Patriots seemingly are sticking with their plan to let Maye develop slowly. While the situation could change between now and August, veteran Jacoby Brissett appears on track to start ahead of Maye when New England opens the regular season at the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 8. 

As of Monday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Maye as a betting underdog at +2200 odds to earn Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. That suggests some think Maye will either struggle this fall or spend much of the season learning as Brissett's backup.