Washington Commanders Prospect Drake Maye a Franchise QB? Robert Griffin III vs. Merril Hoge in Draft Debate

The Washington Commanders have a decision to make with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft - and former Commanders quarterback Robert Griffin III believes Drake Maye has a valid argument as a long-term solution under center.

Nov 11, 2023; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye. / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Robert Griffin III and Merril Hoge played two different positions in two different eras - and their differences don't stop there.

Griffin, a former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback at Baylor who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft by the now-Washington Commanders, has a comprehensive understanding of the traits needed to thrive at the sport's highest level.

And Griffin believes University of North Carolina signal caller Drake Maye has them.

"What I came away from watching the totality of the film with Drake Maye is he has all of the tools he needs to be a franchise quarterback," Griffin said Tuesday on the ESPN morning show Get Up.

This is yet another area where Griffin differs from Hoge, a running back in the late 1980s and early 1990s who previously said he wouldn't draft Maye in the first round and doubled down recently, saying Maye is the type of player who gets coaches fired.

Griffin stands on the complete opposite end of the spectrum.

"If he gets a coach fired, it's not that he can't play," Griffin said. "It's that that coach can't coach."

Nov 11, 2023; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye. / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Griffin cited Maye's performance against North Carolina State University in the final game of his collegiate career, a 39-20 road loss in which he went 22 of 38 for 254 yards, two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions.

On the surface, Maye was unimpressive - but Griffin dug deeper.

Early in the game, Maye rolled to his left and threw a pass in the dirt. Later, he rolled left and threw a touchdown pass. This in-game evolution is valuable - as is the underlying indications about Maye's mental toughness.

"How does he respond when things aren't going well? How does he respond when things get tough?" Griffin said. "Late in that game, Maye got hurt and missed an entire possession. He came back when the game was already decided and finished the game for his teammates.

"So, the guy loves ball, he loves to play at a high level."

To support his case, Griffin used a quote from Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin: "You can't run away from the job."

In this case, Griffin is steadfast in his belief that Maye is worth running towards due to his traits and upside. Griffin is similarly passionate that Hoge's take will age poorly.

"It's a coach's job to coach a player to help him realize his potential," Griffin continued. "If a coach gets fired because of Drake Maye, it's simply because he can't coach. I think he will be a franchise quarterback.

"Somebody needs to get Merril Hoge a cape, because he's mad right now, but with that cape, he'll be super mad once Drake Maye becomes a franchise QB."

It's possible the Commanders bring this argument full circle and draft Maye at No. 2 overall, some 12 years after doing the same with Griffin, who starred early in his career before battling a plethora of injuries.

Maye's career has a chance to end in more positive fashion - and if it were up to Griffin, he'd tell Commanders head coach Dan Quinn to take the gamble.