Analysts compare Drake Maye to two NFL stars before draft

North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye became a polarizing prospect leading up to the NFL Draft. 

Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt defended Maye and compared the signal-caller to Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers and Buffalo Bills star Josh Allen during a pre-draft chat with Armando Salguero of Outkick. 

"To me, his [comparable talent] is a combination of Justin Herbert and Josh Allen," Klatt said about Maye. "He's big. He's strong. He makes throws that nobody else in the draft makes, except for [USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams]. So his ceiling, for me, is incredibly high."

Perhaps most notably, retired player and current NFL analyst Merril Hoge has been Maye's loudest critic. Hoge wouldn't select Maye in the first round of this year's draft because the quarterback "is the kind of player that will get you fired" and is "marginal at best." Others who were nicer in their evaluations pointed out that Maye is a project who likely needs to sit as a rookie while he works on aspects of his game such as his footwork and decision-making skills. 

"I know Josh Allen is his idol, and that's who he wants to be," NFL Network draft analyst Charles Davis told Salguero about Maye, "but I see Herbert right now in his body type, the way he slings it. Can he be Josh Allen? We'd all like to be. Josh is a force of nature. But, by the way, you tell me I can't have Josh Allen [when picking Maye] but I can have Justin Herbert, I lose zero sleep. I'm happy, really happy. I think Drake Maye's that guy."

As of Thursday afternoon, it seemed likely at least one team would agree with Klatt and Davis so much so that it would make Maye the third overall pick of the draft. To his credit, Maye admitted to Chris Rosvoglou of The Spun for a piece published Thursday that he isn't a finished product. 

"I think you get so many possessions in college football," Maye said about what he'll work on during spring and summer practices. "Now that I’m going to be in the NFL, I need to know when to hit the check down or throw the ball out of bounds. Every drive is important in the NFL. You need to avoid making risky throws that you could get away with in college." 

On Thursday, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Maye tied for fifth among the betting favorites at +1100 odds to earn Offensive Rookie of the Year honors for the 2024 season.