The Patriots are warriors, and the Herald is profiling them in the week leading up to Super Bowl LX. Check back every day as we post the newest profile leading up to the game, and pick up a copy of the paper for a color print:

Drake Maye Warrior Profile

Hometown:

Charlotte, N.C.

Path to Patriots:

Maye was selected third overall in the 2024 NFL Draft out of the University of North Carolina. The Patriots had trade offers for the selection but turned them down.

Best game:

Week 17. Maye played only 2 1/2 quarters but completed 90.5% of his passes for 256 yards with five passing touchdowns and no turnovers against the Jets. There were plenty of options this season, but that was a near-perfect performance.

Big number:

77.1.

ESPN developed an all-encompassing quarterback metric called QBR in 2011. Maye led the NFL with a 77.1 QBR this season. He led all quarterbacks in most advanced metrics this season, including expected points added (EPA) and completion percentage over expected (CPOE). He also paced NFL QBs in completion percentage, passer rating and yards per attempt.

Did you know?

Maye attended the last Super Bowl held in San Francisco between the Broncos and Panthers as a fan. Panthers QB Cam Newton was his favorite athlete growing up. He called it a “full-circle” moment last week with his first Super Bowl as a player also coming in the Bay Area.

He said it:

On fan support: “It’s been awesome. I think it’s been one of the coolest things, probably, about this year is seeing the fan support. A local elementary school sent me — I think every kid wrote a letter to me and just was trying to pump me up before the AFC championship. It was pretty cool. … So, shoutout to all the kids and even the adults that are fans of us and fans of me. I think you guys are what make this league run, what make us want to work a little harder or try to execute a little more for this fan environment. I’m looking forward to seeing the fan environment at the Super Bowl. I know there’s going to be a lot of Pats fans out there. We always show out.”