Patriots OC Alex Van Pelt Calls Drake Maye's Development 'Impressive'

The New England Patriots rookie is making early noticeable strides.

August 8, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) warms up before a game against the Carolina Panthers at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

We may have not seen a lot of Drake Maye during the New England Patriots' preseason debut vs. the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night, but it seems he's already made a considerable impression on the team's staff in his short time in Foxboro.

One of those in the Patriots' conglomerate to take notice of the third-overall pick's initial growth has been first-year OC Alex Van Pelt, who's been mentioned to have been working closely with Maye in his development and will continue to do so as we dig closer into the season.

When the New England OC described during Sunday's practice what he's seen from Maye during the Patriots' training camp, Van Pelt noted his performance as "impressive" while also showing some improvement in his largely critiqued footwork:

“He's been impressive and done everything we've asked him. He studies really hard and puts the work in. We've cleaned up his footwork ... the biggest thing I've seen from him is the ability to process quickly. He can go from the first read to the third read very quickly. He sees the field really well."

- Patriots' Alex Van Pelt, via Mike Reiss

Maye made his Patriots debut in short fashion on Thursday when he came in for one drive, following the first appearance of current starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett in the first quarter. During his time on the field, Maye posted 19 passing yards while completing two of his three limited screen passes.

It was a short stint to see New England's prized rookie in action, but it seems as if things are only trending up for the rookie. Along with Van Pelt's comments, coach Jerod Mayo also hinted that Maye would be playing "more snaps" during the Patriots' next preseason matchup vs. the Philadelphia Eagles-- where we can hope to see more of his advertised skillset shown out.

As the Patriots take on the Eagles in an upcoming joint practice, along with their pending preseason showing, expect to see Maye continue to make those forward strides on his road to an elite signal caller, and potentially start his bid to enter the starting QB conversation with a strong presentation.

---

Follow New England Patriots On SI over on our Facebook and Twitter/X to stay up to date on all Patriots news and rumors!