The opinions on North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye have been somewhat all over the place. Some believe he’s the top prospect at the position in this draft, while others think he’s the QB4 behind Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and J.J McCarthy.
Maye comes with prototypical height, weight, mobility, and arm strength entering the professional ranks but doesn’t have the lengthy résumé of starting experience or elite production of the other top QB prospects.
Given his lack of pure reps compared to his peers, what are the ideal landing spots for Maye entering the 2024 NFL Draft?
Which Teams Could Draft Drake Maye?
Chicago Bears Could Select Drake Maye No. 1 Overall
The recent decision to trade quarterback Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers by the Chicago Bears has all but confirmed that the organization will select a quarterback with the first overall pick. While Williams is the current favorite to be the first QB selected in the draft, Maye is undoubtedly in the QB1 conversation entering the 2024 NFL Draft.
After a plethora of big offseason moves from the Bears, they’ve quickly loaded this offense with plenty of playmaking talent. Keenan Allen, D’Andre Swift, and Gerald Everett join D.J. Moore and Cole Kmet on this retooled roster, which could make life much easier for a young quarterback stepping into a starting role from Day 1 in the league.
In addition to the top overall pick, Chicago also owns the ninth pick in the draft, which could be used to address the offensive line or add another top-shelf talent at WR or TE.
As a result, the roster is set to be in excellent shape for a player who could be stepping into a starting role from the jump.
Shane Waldron — the former offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks — is the team’s new offensive coordinator. Waldron called RPO plays 108 times last year, the ninth-highest mark in the league in 2023.
An RPO-heavy scheme could simplify life for a young quarterback and help him to make quick, one-read decisions and help get the ball into the hands of proven playmakers to take the pressure off of the immensely talented Maye in his rookie year.
Washington Commanders Could Take Maye Second Overall
The Washington Commanders offense has a nice mix of young playmakers paired with some proven veteran options that could put a young quarterback in a favorable position to start his career.
Terry McLaurin, Austin Ekeler, Jahan Dotson, Zach Ertz, and Brian Robinson Jr. make up the core of new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s Air Raid offense heading into 2024, but they will need the right quarterback to run the system.
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Kingsbury’s Air Raid scheme — which Maye has experience running during his time with former Tar Heels offensive coordinator Phil Longo in 2022 — calls for the use of RPOs (run-pass options), which Kingsbury called 126 times in 2022 while the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, which was the fourth-highest mark in the league that season.
Maye has enough familiarity with these concepts and enough talent, along with the rest of the offense, to come in and find success early in his NFL career in Washington.
Denver Broncos Could Pair Maye With Sean Payton in Trade-Up
The likelihood of Maye simply falling into the lap of the Denver Broncos at 12th overall feels like unlikely snow in July, but the possibility for a trade-up is never off the board. Broncos head coach Sean Payton decided to bench Russell Wilson and eat north of $80 million over the next two seasons by releasing him.
Maye flashed plenty of processing promise and the ability to play on time within the structure of passing concepts, which is required to run Payton’s offense at its highest level.
CONTINUE READING: Jayden Daniels 2024 NFL Draft Landing Spots
The collection of pass-catching talent is a bit mediocre with Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr., and Greg Dulcich at the moment, but the Broncos could add some talent in this deep receiver draft.
All the 2024 NFL Draft resources you need — the draft order, the top QBs, the Top 100 prospects, and the full 2024 Big Board — right at your fingertips at Pro Football Network!