The Minnesota Vikings’ search for the presumptive quarterback of the future figures to end in Detroit, with the team securing multiple first-round picks in what seems to be the precursor to a jump into the top-five selections. The eagerly anticipated announcement has the potential to bring about the savior of fans doomed to perpetual franchise mediocrity. One prospect has become increasingly linked to the Vikings, and he has the potential to be the greatest quarterback the team has ever rostered.
Drake Maye was born with a howitzer strapped to his shoulder. As a pure passing prospect in his class, he has one rival: the presumptive first-overall selection.
Maye’s arm talent is ridiculous, albeit in a different way from Caleb Williams. Maye has power but hasn’t demonstrated the same elasticity that allows Williams to bend and snap his arm, releasing the ball from any angle conceivable. The talent Maye holsters is similar to Justin Herbert. Maye is separated from the rest of the class by his high-velocity strikes, with the ability to retain speed while placing the ball anywhere.
Maye thrives in any environment. He delivers on timing concepts, Houdini-ing his way away from pressure to drive the ball through tight windows, working on the move, standing in the pocket and ripping throws into the middle of the field, or placing hole shots into his receivers’ arms down the sideline. Downfield strikes are the highlights of Maye’s arsenal; his adjusted completion percentage was the highest out of any quarterback, with at least 50% of the maximum attempts.
Maye’s rushing ability is not founded in finesse or game-breaking speed. Instead, it’s in powerful vertical movement, as if Adrian Peterson’s spirit were imbued upon someone given different physical gifts. Maye plays a lot like Josh Allen. Both charge with a bull mentality, opting to throw their weight into defenders rather than shifting around them like Daniels.
His stature stands out in a smaller class. Maye is imposing. He’s 6’4”, 229 lbs., eight pounds lighter than Allen and an inch shorter. There isn’t a more prototypical quarterback build.
How could such an otherworldly prospect be potentially available to the Vikings?
Maye’s odds of being the second selection have moved substantially. LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is now favored and sitting at -180 (via FanDuel).
Patriots insiders are increasingly postulating about the possibility of New England trading down with the Vikings. The Patriots have myriad roster holes and failed to develop former first-round selection Mac Jones, who had little talent around him. Minnesota desperately desires a quarterback with which to tie the legacies of the staff and has the requisite resources to offer New England multiple first-round picks in 2024 and 2025.
Maye has the potential to be a game-breaker, but he has imperfections.
The most prominent criticism leveled at Maye was with his footwork and his ability to handle pressure. Mounting concerns were birthed from Maye’s tendency to drift away from pressure or tail towards his read, sacrificing the leverage of his tackles and leaving himself vulnerable. Maye had addressed this pre-season, hoping to develop under new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey.
Fellow quarterback prospect Jayden Daniels will occasionally break his linemen’s angle of attack by drifting back, leading to pressure off the edges. Daniels usually circumvents the manufactured threat with his ridiculous speed, taking off if the pocket collapses.
Maye is not as slippery as Daniels and easier to ensnare.
Colt McCoy noted that his drifting habit was intentional in a film review session.
While it can get him into trouble, Maye was extracting every millisecond he could behind a turnstile offensive line, and his most critical footwork concerns should be those that affect his accuracy. Maye was responsible for setting his own protections, something coaches don’t entrust to every prospect. With the introduction and cognizance of Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill’s respective styles and zones, Maye’s most denounced trait could end up being another art.
Maye’s scrambling tendencies are solid. He controls the ball with both hands, working around tackles and defenders before breaching the line of scrimmage or keeping parallel to look downfield. Maye does an exemplary job of keeping his head upright under pressure, rarely sacrificing any open looks.
His decision-making will occasionally get him into precarious situations, and this throw is one example.
A throw from the far hash to a thumb route is bold, but Maye has the arm talent. The issue lies with the timing. Maye’s receiver gets caught hand-fighting at the breakpoint, allowing the corner to recover. The ball is placed firmly within reach of the cornerback, allowing for a turnover-worthy play at Sunday’s speed. Maye has good process, and his decision-making is typically above correction, but those plays will
Maye’s arm talent is unearthly. His ability to uncork arcing bolts of lightning that fall perfectly in stride with his receivers is the stuff of nightmares for opposing defensive coordinators.
Fading away, pressure mounting: Maye delivers.
Josh McCown has been acquainted with Maye as a prospect since high school, coaching at Myers Park. Familiarity with McCown’s tutelage will provide a foundation for Maye’s continued development that he won’t receive elsewhere.
Furthermore, former NFL quarterback Kevin O’Connell heads Minnesota’s staff. O’Connell brought the best out of Cousins last year before his Achilles injury and managed to coax competitive play out of the Jaren Hall, Nick Mullens, and Josh Dobbs three-headed hydra.
Maye is the singular prospect the team should be interested in moving up for. The level of talent he holds is not available in every draft, and the team shouldn’t hesitate to submit the Godfather offer to New England if he slips past the Washington Commanders at No. 2. O’Connell’s pedagogy will separate the wheat from the chaff, and if the few mental and mechanical lapses are cleaned up, the Vikings will have a transcendent quarterback at their disposal.
