With Drake Maye‘s performance in a win over the Cleveland Browns, Maye is cementing himself as the NFL’s next superstar quarterback.
Drake Maye The NFL’s Next Superstar QB
The New England Patriots are 6-2 on the season and sitting in the top spot of their division, which also features the Buffalo Bills. The Patriots have been one of the most improved NFL teams from last season, and it’s all because of the leap second-year quarterback Drake Maye is making.
Maye had a huge Sunday against a tough Browns defense and finished with a line of 18-24 for 282 yards and three touchdowns. He also added 50 yards on the ground. The 2024 third overall pick in the NFL draft isn’t just playing well; he is playing like a legit NFL MVP candidate. After two decades of dominant quarterback play with Tom Brady, New England might have done it again with Maye.
Drake Maye is throwing the best deep ball in the NFL right now.
It’s every week. pic.twitter.com/QIIX62eb4w
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 26, 2025
A look into Drake Maye’s numbers
Maye has thrown for 2,026 yards, 15 touchdowns to only three interceptions so far this season. He also has 250 rushing yards to go with two touchdowns. His advanced numbers are also solid, which shows what is likely to be an ascension into superstardom. Maye is second in EPA per play of all quarterbacks, third in success rate per drop back.
Maye has also thrown for 200-plus yards with a 100-plus passer rating in seven-plus consecutive games. Only Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Patrick Mahomes have accomplished that feat. According to CBS, over the last 40 years, three second-year quarterbacks have led the NFL in pass rating through week eight: Maye, Ben Roethlisberger, and Kurt Warner. Warner and Roethlisberger both won the Super Bowl in those respective seasons.
The New England quarterback also jumped to third in NFL MVP odds according to Fanduel Sportsbook. Right now, the Patriots are the second seed in the AFC if the playoffs were to start today, and because of that, Maye will get heavy consideration for the MVP award if he can get this Patriots team to finish with a top-two seed.
The supporting cast in NE isn’t something to write home about, which makes what Maye is doing that much more impressive. The only household name among the playmakers is Stefon Diggs, whom New England signed off a torn ACL in the offseason. Maye has been stacking consistent performances with other players such as Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, and DeMario Douglas.
Is Drake Maye the best QB from his 2024 draft class?
The 2024 NFL Draft for quarterbacks looks like it could be an all-timer, and Maye has a case that he is the best one from his class. The most successful thus far has been Jayden Daniels in Washington, and what he accomplished in his rookie year can’t be ignored. Daniels, like Maye, is a budding star in the NFL. That draft also has Bo Nix, who continues to play at a high level from last year, as well as the uber-talented but inconsistent Caleb Williams, who was the top pick overall.
Maye has a tantalizing combo of size, speed, and arm strength that made him a draft process darling. Throughout the draft process, Williams was the undisputed top pick; however, there were real conversations about who would go at two between Daniels and Maye. So even though Daniels has more success to this point, he and Maye were viewed equally in the eyes of most people.
What’s ahead for Maye and the Patriots?
The Patriots have some big spots coming up over the next couple of months of the season. Hey, face the Buffalo Bills again, the Baltimore Ravens, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If Maye can put together some big performances against these opponents, it could catapult Maye into superstardom.
Main Image: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
