Drake Maye Ranked 11th-Best NFL Player Under 25 by Coaches & Execs, What Other QBs Made List?

Drake Maye is the best quarterback in the league among players who are under 25 years old, at least in the eyes of NFL coaches and executives.

Mike Jones of The Athletic shared rankings of players under 25 from coaches and executives around the league Friday, and everyone is looking up at Detroit Lions offensive lineman Penei Sewell. 

But in the quarterback department, Maye is ranked highest at No. 11 and ahead of Jayden Daniels (No. 13), C.J. Stroud (No. 19) and Caleb Williams (No. 21).

That Maye is the highest-ranked quarterback isn't that surprising considering he just led the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl and finished second in MVP voting in his second season in the league during the 2025 campaign.

Williams, Daniels and Maye were the first three picks of the 2024 NFL draft in that order, and they have all enjoyed various degrees of success in their first two years. Only Maye has been to the Super Bowl, but Daniels led the Washington Commanders to the NFC Championship Game as a rookie and Williams' Chicago Bears are coming off an NFC North title.

They will be compared to each other throughout the rest of their careers and could end up switching spots on lists like this a number of times moving forward.

And as long as they all continue to play up to their potential and guide their teams to the playoffs, the Patriots, Commanders and Bears will surely be pleased with their franchise quarterbacks no matter which one is ranked ahead of the others on subjective lists.

Perhaps the most notable inclusion is Stroud, who is one of the more intriguing case studies in the NFL at this point.

He wasted no time establishing himself as a star in the league as the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023. He also led the Houston Texans to the playoffs in each of his first three years.

However, Stroud failed to replicate his rookie impact in either his second or third year in the league and threw four interceptions in Houston's playoff loss to the Patriots last season. He seems to have taken a step back with more experience, which makes his long-term future a legitimate question.

While he is extension eligible, he and the Texans have not yet agreed to a new deal.

Stroud will have a chance to bounce back in his fourth season, and there may be a new deal and a higher ranking in lists like these waiting for him if he does.