UNC QB Drake Maye Could Be 'Generational Prospect' in 2024 NFL Draft, Exec Says

Even if North Carolina's Drake Maye is not the first quarterback selected in the 2024 NFL draft, he might still be one of the best of his generation, according to an AFC executive.

"If Caleb Williams weren't in this draft, we'd be talking about Maye as a generational prospect," the executive told ESPN's Matt Miller. "He still might be one."

Maye and USC quarterback Caleb Williams are early favorites to be selected at the top of next year's draft.

Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner, is already being billed as a "generational" talent. After transferring from Oklahoma, he looked like a different player with USC last season, leading the Trojans to an 11-3 record by throwing for 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns with just five interceptions and a bevy of highlight-reel plays.

But like the battle for the top spot in the 2023 draft between Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud, there is an argument to be made for Maye being a similar difference-maker.

In his first season as Carolina's starting quarterback, Maye put up a record-breaking campaign that saw him rack up the most passing yards (4,321), completions (342) and tie for the most touchdown passes (38) in UNC history. He showed off his speed by adding 698 yards on the ground.

Maye, who turns 21 in August, still has time to build on that first campaign. That possibility for growth, plus his 6'4", 230-pound frame, is enough for executives to start considering whether the upcoming draft could generate not one but two generation-defining prospects.