Patriots OC Alex Van Pelt Drops Update on Drake Maye's Development

How has the New England Patriots' rookie fared through the OTA portion of the offseason?

May 11, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) hands the ball to running back Terrell Jennings (29) at the New England Patriots rookie camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

The New England Patriots' rookie quarterback has been taking care of business since suiting up for his new squad.

After being selected third overall during April's NFL Draft, QB Drake Maye has been the center of many discussions revolving around his early development with New England. At just 21 years old and starting 26 games in college, scouts have forecasted a lot of work potentially on the way UNC products despite possessing outstanding physical tools.

However, it seems like Maye has taken all the right steps forward during his short time on the practice field, according to his coaches, and could even be ahead of schedule. Patriots' offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt spoke to the media ahead of Tuesday's OTAs, where he voiced a strong bid of confidence in his rookie QB.

He's been impressive. He's come out, taken everything from the classroom, everything from our individual periods, and he's applying it to the team drills... The biggest things we're working on right now: calling plays from the huddle, which is new to a lot of these college guys, and then just playing in rhythm and in time with your feet, and that's the biggest strides I've seen him make in the past few weeks.

- Alex Van Pelt, Patriots' OC

It's the exact type of energy you love to hear from a coach who's spent extensive time with his rookie quarterback, especially concerning his footwork improvements. A large chunk of the criticism surrounding Maye ahead of the draft was centered around concerns with his feet, and if he's able to iron out that side of his game early, his track to getting a shot under center could be much sooner.

Van Pelt didn't offer much insight on when we could see Maye start, describing the timeline for naming a starting QB as "unknown" on Tuesday-- which is fair, considering we're still three months away from Week One. Regardless, it's clear Maye is making a positive impression in the reps he's been dealt, and it's hard to ask for more than that.

Expect the positivity to continue to radiate in Foxboro so long as Maye keeps up his latest performance.

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