Which fellow rookie is outplaying Drake Maye in Patriots Training Camp?
If we're talking about NFL Training Camps alone, the New England Patriots continue to look like they snagged an absolute steal in April's NFL Draft.
Former UNC football star Drake Maye was drafted third overall, with the hopes he can one day become New England's next franchise quarterback. Maye put together quite the college career – ACC Rookie of the Year, ACC Player of the Tear and First Team All-ACC in 2022, then an 8,018-yard, 63-touchdown passer when his Tar Heel career ended after the 2023 campaign.
There's a strong chance Maye begins the year as Jacoby Brissett's backup, but there's now a third quarterback in the mix – thanks to his strong training camp so far.
That third quarterback is none other than Joe Milton, the former Tennessee standout whom the Patriots selected in the sixth round of April's NFL Draft.
After the NFL Draft, the immediate thought was Maye pushing Brissett for the starting job. Don't forget about Milton, who – according to Boston Globe Senior NFL Writer Ben Volin – is outplaying Maye in Training Camp.
"I wrote after last Thursday’s practice that Milton is the “wow” quarterback at camp — the guy with the best size, best athleticism, and biggest arm," Volin wrote. "Now I’ll take it a step further: Milton outplayed Maye over the first six practices of camp. You can’t tell which player is the No. 3 overall pick (Maye) and which is the sixth-round flier (Milton)."
ESPN's Colin Cowherd took it a step further than even Volin, saying Milton could win the overall starting job.
It's worth noting that while Maye was a generational talent at North Carolina, he didn't consistently face SEC competition like Milton.
With three preseason games and plenty of practices until his NFL regular season debut on Sunday, Sept. 8, will Maye be able to hold off Milton on the Patriots' depth chart?
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire : Which fellow rookie is outplaying Drake Maye in Patriots Training Camp?
