In the lead-up to the 2024 NFL Draft, North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye is being mentored by a former No. 1 overall pick who went on to win two Super Bowls in the NFL. What knowledge has Eli Manning imparted to Maye?
Drake Maye Aims To Be a “Sponge” With Mentor Eli Manning
The 2024 NFL Draft process is always grueling, but it’s doubly so for first-round quarterbacks. The amount of attention and press QBs receive is disproportionate to the rest of the field, and early first-rounders find it difficult to escape the spotlight.
That pressure has been proven to wear at some passers, but there are resources to help minimize the uncertainty. As Drake Maye contends with Caleb Williams for the No. 1 overall pick, he’s taking full advantage.
It was recently reported that Maye was training with Pro Bowl QB Philip Rivers. During media interviews at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Maye spoke about the mentorship he’s received from a New York Giants legend, Manning.
“I’m a big fan [of Manning]. He’d probably say he’s seen me a little too much,” Maye said.
“I’ve been following him around. It’s always been on Zoom. I think the biggest thing has just been being a sponge, soaking it all in. I don’t have all the answers. I don’t know it all. Just being up there with Eli and David Morris, training with him in Alabama — he was [Manning’s] backup at Ole Miss. Just trying to soak it all up.”
Manning is a unique mentorship presence for Maye, not only because of his NFL success but also because of the expectations and market challenges Manning faced when he entered the NFL.
Manning was a highly-anticipated No. 1 overall pick who entered the league a year after his older brother Peyton Manning won his first MVP award. After being traded away by the Los Angeles Chargers, the younger Manning was saddled with one of the league’s biggest media markets in New York.
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If there’s any QB in history who has experience managing expectations, tuning out the noise, and building his way to sustained success, it’s Manning. And he has told Maye that, to weather the chaos, he only needs to focus on himself.
“Just being myself. Don’t be somebody I’m not,” Maye said about the advice Manning has given him. “And at the end of the day, don’t give the NFL too much spotlight or credit. Just go out there and play ball.”
Maye’s latest attempt to manage the noise — the 2024 NFL Combine — appeared to be a success. There’s still a long way to go before the 2024 NFL Draft, but Maye will be proactive and lean on the veteran minds he has available to him.
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