The Patriots recently re-signed top safety Jabrill Peppers and made some interesting observations about
Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye. After a casual comment, he came up with some insightful thoughts on football.
atozsports.com quoted Peppers’ comments on rookie Maye’s taste in music,
“‘I mean, I feel like you guys know everything,’ Peppers said. ‘But he has really good taste in music. I wouldn’t have expected that from him.'”
Peppers then talked football and had some very positive things to say about the former third pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Let’s take a look at his comments on football and what they could mean for the Patriots in 2024.
Peppers got serious and pointed to Drake Mayes’ ability to adapt to the complexities of the NFL game. Here is his statement, again quoted by atozsports.com:
“He’s a young quarterback going up against a defense that’s been playing together for a while. We play really well together,” Peppers added. “We know how to mask looks and make it look different. He’s definitely getting used to it. He’s got all the qualities – he’s smart, he can make any throw on the field, it’s just a matter of seeing it, believing it, reading it and making the right throws day in and day out.”
Pepper’s comments are indicative of what the Patriots’ personnel management must have seen in Maye to select him with the third overall pick in the draft. The young quarterback’s physical attributes, size, arm strength and running ability were never in question.
But in the NFL, a young quarterback’s ability to understand the intricacies of stealthy defenses and tactics can make or break him. Pepper’s comments are a clear indication that Maye has what it takes to succeed.
Drake Maye “gets it”
In the same article, atozsports.com also quoted Drake Maye on his new situation in
NFL. Here’s what he had to say:
“Just learn from it. Don’t keep making the same mistake,” Maye said Friday. “Plus, you come here on Monday, the first day in protective gear, and we do third-and-long. Third-and-long in the NFL is
hard. Our defense does a good job on third and long and it’s hard on the offense. At the same time, when you watch the film, you have to focus on the little things. That’s what this position is all about. As a quarterback
you have to do the little things right.'”
Maye understands the importance of paying attention to detail in the NFL, and his ability to do just that was recently showcased in a clip from “Hard Knocks” during his pre-draft interview with the Giants. That understanding helped lead the Giants to pursue a potential blockbuster trade with the Patriots for that third pick. To the Patriots’ credit, that trade was a bust.
Jabrill Peppers’ comments underscore that Drake Maye has the mental toughness needed to be a successful NFL quarterback in addition to his physical skills. That’s why the rookie should be the Patriots’ starting quarterback in 2024. It’s that simple.
