Patriots Reportedly Have 'Strong Internal Belief' Drake Maye Will Make Leap in 2025

The New England Patriots made Drake Maye one of the faces of their franchise when they selected him with the No. 3 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft, and they reportedly believe he will be better in his second season.

"There's strong internal belief that quarterback Drake Maye will take another step forward, as the 2024 first-round pick had an impressive initial offseason with coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels," Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported Friday.

Whether Maye can take that step forward will ultimately determine New England's ceiling.

He was inconsistent as a rookie but flashed his talent at times while completing 66.6 percent of his passes for 2,276 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The offensive line was certainly a concern at times, and the Patriots weren't teeming with weapons under head coach Jerod Mayo.

But things look different heading into the 2025 campaign.

New England fired Mayo and brought in a franchise legend in Vrabel to be the head coach. What's more, McDaniels is back as the offensive coordinator after the Patriots won six Super Bowls when he was previously on different staffs.

The weapons still aren't excellent, but they added four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs at wide receiver. They also selected offensive tackle Will Campbell with the No. 4 overall pick and center Jared Wilson with a third-round pick to bolster the offensive line.

Maye is now in a better position to succeed in his second season, which makes his ability to take that next step all the more important.

And the team believes he will do just that.