Patriots' Hunter Henry compares Drake Maye to Pro Bowl QB

Before the New England Patriots selected quarterback Drake Maye third overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, multiple analysts compared him to Los Angeles Chargers star and one-time Pro Bowl selection Justin Herbert.

Current New England tight end Hunter Henry played alongside Herbert when the signal-caller was a rookie during the 2020 season. Henry spoke with reporters on Wednesday about the Maye-Herbert comparisons that have continued through the fall. 

"There’s a lot of similarities in a lot of ways," Henry said about the quarterbacks, as Mark Daniels of MassLive shared. "They’re different but similar in a way, too. Justin’s a special player, but Drake is a very special player, too. The size always helps. Drake’s a big guy and Justin is obviously a very big guy. The mobility always helps -- being able to create plays on the run. Not just with passing but also with his feet. Yeah, there’s definitely similarities. I’ve been blessed with Justin and now with Drake."

While Herbert is routinely mentioned as one of the league's best young quarterbacks who signed a five-year, $262.5M contract extension in the summer of 2023, Maye has shown signs he could eventually follow in Herbert's footsteps. Per Pro Football Reference, Maye began Thursday ranked 14th in the NFL among qualified players with a 59.6 QBR for the season. Thus far, he has completed 126-of-189 pass attempts (66.7%) for 1,236 yards with nine touchdowns and six interceptions. He's also rushed for 260 yards and a score on 28 carries. 

Maye has already emerged as an outspoken leader in the locker room, which is impressive considering he wasn't named New England's starter until Week 6. As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Maye third among the betting favorites at +2500 odds to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. 

"Drake’s a competitor," Henry added. "Drake’s got a lot of talent. He’s really smart. He continues to grow. It’s fun to grow with him. ... I’m not surprised at all. We saw glimpses throughout camp, throughout the spring. They drafted him around here for a reason. He’s a really good football player and will continue to get better."

On Thursday, DraftKings Sportsbook had the 3-8 Patriots as 7.5-point underdogs for this coming Sunday's game at the 4-6 Miami Dolphins. Maye winning at Hard Rock Stadium could make the OROTY race much more interesting heading into the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.