Drake Maye dealt with the comparison even before the New England Patriots selected him No. 3 overall.
But it’s even more in Maye’s face this week as the lousy Patriots get set to face the division-rival Buffalo Bills on Sunday in a Week 16 matchup.
Maye is looked at as a Josh Allen prototype. The two quarterbacks play a similar style, with powerful arms capable of making all the throws and an ability to make plays with their legs all the while possessing a gunslinger’s mentality.
Maye is still looking to cement himself in the NFL, though, while Allen is running away with the league’s MVP award in his seventh season. And that sizable gap doesn’t go unnoticed by Maye.
“I think I’ve got a long way to go,” Maye told reporters at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday, per team-provided transcript. “What a player he is, playing at an MVP level. I think the biggest thing is just the progression he’s made. I think what he dealt with, whether coming out of college or his first years here, I feel like everybody was just kind of not giving him the credit he deserved. Now, you can see kind of the full fruition of what he’s doing and the level he’s playing at. Just, like I said, fun to watch, and I think I’ve got a long way to go to get to anywhere close to playing at his level.”
Maye is right. Allen’s progress over the years is striking and should give the Patriots the belief that Maye could turn into that caliber of player if he continues his upward trajectory.
Allen struggled as a rookie in 2018, completing just 52.8% of his passes for 2,074 yards with 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 11 starts. Maye’s numbers — 68.5% completion percentage, 1,898 yards passing, 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions — actually are better than that. But Allen took a big step in his second season before going on to become a perennial MVP candidate.
That’s a blueprint the Patriots would love for Maye to follow. Allen sure sees a promising future in store for Maye, as living up to the Allen comparison would mean the North Carolina product reached his potential.
“What a special player,” Maye said. “He’s playing at a really high level. It’s been fun to watch some of his highlights in some of the games. They’ve got a lot of prime time games, so anytime Josh is on, I’m a big fan of his, a big fan of his game. I got to meet him a couple times throughout my time just crossing paths, and he’s an awesome dude. He’s a great player, and what he’s done for Buffalo and how they embrace him is pretty cool and pretty admirable.”
