One of the biggest names to keep an eye on ahead of April’s NFL Draft is UNC quarterback Drake Maye.

The redshirt-sophomore from Huntersville, NC had a phenomenal career in Chapel Hill, throwing for 8,018 yards, tossing 63 touchdowns to just 16 interceptions, rushing for 1,209 yards and adding 16 scores on the ground. Maye was a preseason Heisman Trophy contender and – after a so-so start to 2023 – played more like a finalist.

In each of Maye’s two years under center, however, the Tar Heels endured late-season collapses after hot start. UNC started 6-0 this past season, climbing as high as 10th in the AP Poll. That’s not all his fault, though, as we can point to underperforming defensive

Maye is projected to be an early first-round pick in the NFL Draft. According to ESPN NFL Insider Field Yates, Maye is going third overall to the New England Patriots.

There’s a lot of debate to which order the top three quarterbacks of Maye, LSU’s Jayden Daniels and USC’s Caleb Williams, the latter two of whom are the reigning Heisman Trophy winners, will go in.

If Maye went to New England, he’d be tasked in replacing one of the NFL’s most unproductive quarterback rooms. Mac Jones looked solid in his rookie year, but has regressed. The Bailey Zappe experiment failed, too.

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Story originally appeared on Tarheels Wire