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It isn’t Drake Maye or bust for the New England Patriots at quarterback. Not based on head coach Jerod Mayo’s high praise for Maye’s fellow rookie Joe Milton III.
Mayo credited the sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft with making “huge development” during his debut campaign in the pros. That development owes a lot to “the Patriots virtual reality setup,” per MassLive.com’s Mark Daniels.
Milton making strides means the Patriots are getting richer at football’s most important position. Richer because third-overall pick Maye is already showing signs of being a genuine franchise quarterback.
If Maye doesn’t build on his early promise, Milton’s raw physical talents could make him a viable contingency plan.
Joe Milton III Becoming Another Option for the Future
The Pats appeared tired and bereft of ideas under center only last season. When Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe were trading reps and comparing turnovers.
A brighter future seems inevitable with Maye throwing the passes, but Milton can add to the positivity. Especially since the 24-year-old has some exciting intangibles that can’t be taught, intangibles that allowed him to quickly overtake Zappe and ultimately knock the latter off the roster.
It helped Milton showed off his awesome arm strength numerous times during preseason. Like when the former Tennessee Volunteers star threw this touchdown strike to JaQuae Jackson against the Carolina Panthers.
The trajectory and velocity Milton can generate with his throwing arm was even wowing people in warmups. Particularly ahead of the Pats facing the Washington Commanders back in late August.
Now Milton is showing enough potential for Mayo to perform an about turn on hyping the first-year signal-caller. The next thing Mayo should do is flip a pecking order that has Milton third behind Maye and veteran backup Jacoby Brissett.
The latter represents a type of cautious quarterback play the Patriots are quickly moving away from thanks to superior, more daring athletes at the position.
Drake Maye Changing QB Narrative for Patriots
Boosting his natural gifts with the aid of VR is a smart way for Milton, and there’s something fitting about technology helping improve the Patriots situation at quarterback. The team had become tethered to a more old-school, pedestrian approach.
It was best summed up by Brissett, a great teammate, but essentially a journeyman game-manager. This season’s offense was always going to be limited through the air with Brissett at the controls, but Maye is changing the narrative.
The first-year signal-caller is backing his arm to make the tough throws. Maye’s also using his core athleticism to manufacture big plays off platform.
Perhaps the best example occurred during Week 11’s 28-22 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams. When Maye altered his arm angle to uncork a pass to wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, highlighted by Zack Cox of the Boston Herald.
Plays like this earned Maye lofty praise from Mayo’s counterpart with the Rams. This throw also represents how Maye is changing expectations for Patriots quarterbacks.
Now things are defined by improv skills and the ability to turnaround losing situations with sudden, off-script plays. Maye can do that, and the Patriots will be highly fortunate if Milton proves he can do the same.
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