Raiders 2024 NFL Draft: Where do the top QBs rank?

2. Drake Maye (North Carolina) 

Poor Drake Maye. Any other year the North Carolina product is the best quarterback in his class as a player who possesses every skill you look for in a future franchise quarterback. At 6’4” and 230 pounds, Maye looks every bit the part of an NFL quarterback and has a rocket arm to pair with above-average athletic ability as a runner. 

Perhaps the most impressive part about Maye however is the way he approaches the position. Operating the Air Raid offense for the Tar Heels, Maye is still able to run the offense efficiently and aggressively despite an overall lack of receiver talent. This aggressiveness is a hallmark of his game as he is always looking for the kill shot. A big game hunter, this is not a player who is satisfied with layups.

These downfield bombs are made possible through the use of his electric arm that gives him access to all parts of the field from any platform he chooses. Whether he is flat-footed, on the run, or even with his opposite hand, he can burn a defense at any time. 

In addition, he is also an athlete that you have to respect when he chooses to leave the pocket and he can be used in the design run game similarly to how the Jaguars deploy Trevor Lawrence at times. 

Truthfully, there is not much to dislike about the way he plays the position. With his natural aggressiveness comes arrogance that his arm can do whatever he wants it to and while he may be right, it will lead to some ugly interceptions as a rookie. This is not to say he cannot play within the structure of an offense and learn to take his checkdowns as he absolutely can, it will just take some time. Regardless, every coach would rather have to teach some trepidation than try to force aggression onto a player who doesn’t have it. 

I do not see a world in which Maye is not a successful NFL quarterback and the ceiling on his career is sky-high. He could be a top-10 quarterback in a hurry.

Grade: Top ten.