Bill Belichick Reacts to Patriots Drafting Drake Maye, Compares QB to Josh Allen

Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick offered his take on his ex-team's selection of UNC quarterback Drake Maye with the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL draft.

Belichick made his remarks during an appearance on Pat McAfee's 5th Annual Draft Spectacular (h/t Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald).

"Drake compares himself a lot to Josh Allen. ... We'll see about that. I think there are some comparisons with size and athleticism, but Josh Allen is a pretty special player," he said.

"A very talented kid. Good size, runs well, has a good arm. Just he hasn't played very much. He really doesn't have a lot of experience. He makes some big plays. ... He's gonna need some work in reading defenses, reading coverages."

Belichick added: "He's kind of quick to bail out of the pocket. He's gonna have to hang in there a little bit longer to find those receivers. ... This is a kid who can make all of the throws. He just needs to be more consistent. ... Transitioning from a college quarterback to a pro quarterback, he's just going to need some time and experience."

Those remarks have been common refrains on Maye, in that he has tremendous potential but might need some time to really get going. At any rate, he's now the Patriots' franchise quarterback as the team embarks on a new era.

Belichick, who served as the Pats' head coach and personnel leader from 2000-2019, led New England to six Super Bowl wins and nine AFC titles. He had a hand in selecting Tom Brady with a sixth-round pick in 2000, and that was obviously fortuitous with the signal-caller starting in New England for 19 years.

Brady left New England for Tampa Bay in free agency in 2020, leaving the Patriots in search of a new quarterback. In 2021, they selected Alabama quarterback Mac Jones with the 15th overall pick, and he excelled in his rookie season. But he regressed in years two and three, bottom out to a benching in 2023. The team also fell to 4-13.

Jones and Belichick are now gone, and Maye (and ex-Patriots star and linebackers coach Jerod Mayo) are now in as QB1 and head coach. It's truly a new era in New England as the Patriots try to climb out of the AFC East cellar.

As for Belichick, he's a part-time analyst now after he didn't land a head coaching gig during this cycle, but it'll be interesting to see if he takes his talents back to draft war rooms next year. For now, though, he's offering unique and detailed insight, something that wasn't seen all that often during his press conferences in New England.