Why Mike Vrabel compared Drake Maye to Hall-of-Fame pitcher

New England Patriots

“I think Josh [McDaniels] and Ashton [Grant] have tried to work hard on that. I also think Drake is talented.”

Drake Maye has surprised many with his breakthrough performance this season in just his second year in the league.

While the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft showcased his potential as a playmaker last season given both his arm strength and ability to extend plays on the ground, his consistency and accuracy was expected to be a work in progress.

Fine-tuning those areas of the game is often an expected hurdle for many young QBs looking to find their footing in the NFL.

But Maye has accelerated his developmental timeline in short order this fall.

After getting knocked for 10 interceptions in 12 starts as a rookie, Maye has only thrown five picks through 11 games in 2025 — while also leading the league in completion percentage (71.9 percent) and ranking second in yards per attempt (8.9 percent). 

During Mike Vrabel’s press conference on Wednesday, the Patriots head coach was asked whether it has been Maye’s own development or the efforts put forward by New England’s coaches that have led to his second-year leap.

As part of his response, Vrabel likened Maye to Hall-of-Fame pitcher Greg Maddux. 

“I think probably a little bit of both,” Vrabel said. “I think Josh [McDaniels] and Ashton [Grant] have tried to work hard on that. I also think Drake is talented. It’s like a pitcher. I don’t know if there’s a pitching coach that really taught Greg Maddux how to paint the plate and put the ball wherever he wanted it.

“So I think there’s some natural skill there, but then I think that they work on those things. They work on platform and throwing off of different places and still remaining accurate. And climbing the pocket and working with a base and all those things. Then there’s other times where it’s just natural athletic ability and hand-eye coordination and putting the ball in good spots.”

Maddux’s calling card on the mound was his pin-point accuracy. Despite only surpassing 200 strikeouts once in his 23-year MLB career, Maddux rarely put himself in danger by putting men on base — recording under 50 walks in 16 of his seasons in the majors. 

As the Patriots try to continue to build momentum down the final weeks of the 2025 regular season, Maye will need to continue to avoid mistakes and keep himself out of harm’s way if this team wants to validate itself as a true contender in a wide-open AFC.

 

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.