Patriots legend expresses excitement over Drake Maye

Super Bowl LIII Most Valuable Player Julian Edelman is among individuals associated with the New England Patriots hyped about what rookie quarterback Drake Maye could offer the organization as soon as this fall.

"They have a lot of holes, but the quarterback in this day and age is probably the most important role," Edelman said about the Patriots during a recent chat with Ryan Morik of Fox News Digital. "I’m excited with Drake Maye. Just hearing the stories about how much he likes to compete. He comes from a sports family. His brothers are all legends. I think it could be a great thing for New England. He seems like a guy that’s willing to work, and it’s just about how they’re gonna develop him."

Long before New England made Maye the third overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, the club signed veteran Jacoby Brissett to serve as a mentor for a first-year pro and a bridge option at the position if first-year head coach Jerod Mayo decided to sit a rookie through a portion of the upcoming season. Brissett entered Organized Team Activities as the clear favorite to start the Patriots' regular-season opener at the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 8, but Maye seemingly closed the gap ahead of the team's summer break.

"I think having Jacoby Brissett as his backup is a great guy for Drake to learn from," Edelman explained. "Jacoby’s been around the block. He's won football games in the National Football League for multiple teams, and he’s a professional."

Mayo told reporters during mandatory minicamp this week that Maye is "going the right direction" but will need to learn how to handle "some down days" during training camp and the preseason. Edelman suggested that Mayo, a former player, could prove to be what Maye and others inside the locker room need after Bill Belichick essentially ran the franchise's football operations for over two decades.

"Having a smart, hungry, young head coach that knows players, knows how to communicate with players in Jerod Mayo, and we’ll see what this offensive staff can do," Edelman added.

That staff includes offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who reportedly had a positive working relationship with quarterback Baker Mayfield when both were with the Cleveland Browns. Van Pelt may do well to get Maye ready to start Week 1 this September, but Mark Daniels of MassLive noted on Thursday that "there’s an argument to be made that even if Maye looks better, the Patriots should start the veteran to let Maye develop behind the scenes."