After getting an up close and personal look at New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye, Sean McVay came away extremely impressed. McVay and the Rams secured a 28-22 victory over Maye's Patriots this past Sunday, with Maye going 30 of 40 for 282 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception in the loss.
"He looks like a stud," McVay said, via ESPN. "I didn't do too much work on him coming out [of college]. I do know a lot of people that studied him really hard, that I truly respect their opinions, and they loved what he was all about. You can just see the impact he has on his teammates. He looks like he's going to be a special player for a long time."
The Rams finally had a first-round pick in 2024; but they were never going to be in position to draft Maye, so it makes at least some sense that McVay didn't put in too much work studying him. But there was a clear consensus that Maye was one of the best quarterback prospects in a very good quarterback class, and that has been borne out in his play to date.
In seven games (six starts), Maye has completed 66.8% of his passes at an average of 6.5 yards per attempt, with 9 touchdown passes and 6 interceptions. He's rushed 28 times for 260 yards and an additional score.
The Pats are just 2-4 in his starts so far, but that's not what matters. Maye looking like the real deal is far more important than any additional wins they can capture this season. And with each passing week, he looks more and more like the real deal.
