PATRIOTS 2024 FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICK DRAKE MAYE
PRESS CONFERENCE
APRIL 25, 2024
Q: How are you feeling?
DM: It's one of the best nights of my life. I can't wait to get up there, get started and get to work.
Q: Patriots' Eliot Wolf said he's known for a couple of weeks now that they were going to take you at three. When did you know that the Patriots were going to take you, or was this a surprise?
DM: Yeah, when I heard that phone ring right beside me. I kind of had the ring-down phone, the old school phone right beside me at the draft. Once that rang – it rang real early, right at 10 minutes. Right when the Patriots were on the clock, I heard it start ringing. It was one of the moments I'll remember forever, and I'll cherish. I think my mom grabbed that phone and took it with her, so we'll remember that forever.
Q: Did she let you have any words with the conversation, or was she the one who picked up the phone?
DM: Yeah, exactly! No, I thought she was. No, she let me pick it up. It was a little tough to hear, but it was great. I could hear them pretty clearly.
Q: Drake, who's with you in Detroit?
DM: I've got my three older brothers, three of my best friends. Even my oldest brother, Luke. He plays basketball overseas in Japan. He flew back yesterday and made it in for the trip. My two parents, my longtime girlfriend, and ten of my friends and family came up as a surprise yesterday. So, awesome night. I can't wait. I know they're excited. We've got a whole bunch of Patriots fans now, so we're excited to see that.
Q: Drake, what stood out to you about the Patriots in the pre-draft process?
DM: I think when I went on the 30 visit, just not only the history on the wall, but just the motto in there. Work ethic, grind it out. The Patriots, it's been a dynasty. It's one of the best areas, best sports towns; I think it's the best in the country. I'm so looking forward to getting up there, getting to see it, getting to see Gillette Stadium, and just looking forward to that. I think that's what Coach [Jerod] Mayo preaches. He's such a player's coach; I can see how all the guys attract to him. I look forward to playing for him and meeting everybody else.
Q: Did you have any conversations with players that are currently on the Patriots, and have you heard from any yet tonight?
DM: Yeah, I have. I got to know, actually, Jacoby Brissett over the summer. Conor McDermott, I got to meet him at the Super Bowl. Then, who else on the Patriots? Gonzo [Christian Gonzalez], a little bit. I'm just excited to meet everybody else, and I can't wait to get in that locker room. I remember walking through it, and they've got a basketball hoop in their locker room. I was shooting at it; that's what I remember. So, I can't wait to get up there, meet the rest of the guys and just kind of get going.
Q: You mentioned Jacoby Brissett. What's your feelings about getting to be in a quarterback room with him?
DM: Yeah, awesome. He's been so many different places, so many different offenses. I think he's been in this offense before with Coach [Alex] Van Pelt, and I'm just looking forward to getting to learn from him. I know he's an old guy, old vet, and he can still play. So, I'm looking forward to contributing in any way, I'm looking forward to getting to see him, and I know he's the man.
Q: Drake, you mentioned you got to know Jacoby last summer. Where did you guys meet?
DM: Yeah, I met him through Sam Howell. He was with the Commanders. So, I was able to meet him through mutual friends. They're great buddies, and Sam speaks so highly of him. So, I got to meet Jacoby, and I'm looking forward to getting in the same room again.
Q: You mentioned Alex Van Pelt, too, before. Did you get to meet him when you were up here, and what do you know about the offense and what are you looking forward to running?
DM: Yeah, I got to meet Coach. We met for the first time at the formal interview at the Combine. He was asking the questions. Then, I went up there for the 30 visit, we went through some of the film, outside zone scheme. He likes to throw it around; he did some play action stuff with [Aaron] Rodgers back in the day in Green Bay, so I'm looking forward to being in that offense. I know they had a lot of success in the past, and just look forward to finding my way to best contribute to Pats Nation.
Q: Drake, there's a lot of NFL analysts who would say that the Patriots situation for a rookie quarterback, if it's not the worst, it's one of the worst. How do you feel about the situation that you're going into here?
DM: I think they're wrong. The defense last year held a lot of teams to low points, and I'm looking forward to helping in any way offensively, and just looking forward to be there with Coach [Jerod] Mayo in his first year – congrats to him – and I don't think anybody's saying that. I think, hopefully, we'll find out this coming season. I'm going to work hard with the guys and prove them wrong.
Q: When people think of the New England Patriots and they think of quarterback, they think of Tom Brady. What do you think of Tom Brady and following in his footsteps?
DM: Yeah, Tom Brady's the G.O.A.T. It's easy to say that. He's the best that ever played this game. I'm not going to be Tom Brady. So, I'm just going to try to be Drake Maye, and from there, I'm just trying to learn from him, hopefully get to know him a little bit. Other than that, just try to soak it up, be a sponge and try to learn all I can from him. He's the man of that town.
Q: I just want to know a little bit more about what the Patriots first brought up in your Combine interview with them, what you were going over in those 15 minutes?
DM: I think the first thing was you just get to know me, ask me some background questions, some family questions. The first time I talked to them was at the Combine. I didn't do any Senior Bowl stuff or any of that. So, we were discussing background first, about my family, about my past two years, and they put me up on the board a little bit. We watched some tape, some good plays, I remember, and some of them were bad. So, they just kind of wanted to know my thought process, and I was just being honest up there. I remember drawing up a play that I think they put against Cover 2, and I drew up a play.
Q: Drake, when we were just meeting with Jerod and Eliot, Jerod said that he wanted to make it clear that you're not coming in as the starter, and you know that. What was that conversation like, and what's your understanding on that?
DM: Yeah, they asked me in front of a bunch of coaches, and I think my first thing is helping in any way I can contribute. I'll prepare and be ready to be the starter, but at the same time, you know that as a young guy coming in there, it's not given to you. You've got to earn it. The NFL is a place that you've got to work your butt off. My job is to go in there, earn the guys' respect, help whoever is the starter, if I'm not, be the best player they can and help this team win.
Q: Watching your film, one of the things that stood out was your ability to attack the entire field, inside and outside. So, I'm curious. Say it's 4th-and-7 with the game on the line, whether it's a concept or a route, what would you say is your bread and butter play that you feel really comfortable with?
DM: No doubt. I think throwing up from over across the middle. I think I've got to see it well. I'm a big 6'5" dude back there where it's a seam shot. Big dig, in corner routes, corner post, anything across the middle of the field, I feel like I can make a throw, make all the throws. I'm excited to, if it's not there, go make a play for myself. So, I'm looking forward to it and helping kind of expand that game into the NFL.
Q: I'm curious if you're the type of guy who feeds off outside noise, or if you're the type that stays in his lane, and it doesn't really motivate you. What's your mindset when it comes to that?
DM: Yeah, I think control what I can control is the biggest thing. All the outside noise is part of the media trying to make headlines. The biggest thing for me is to worry about my play on the field, worry about how I am as a teammate in the locker room and a man in the community. So, that's what I'm worried about. The only outside noise, I think, comes with my play on the field, and that's what I can control.
Q: Eliot Wolf said he appreciated and liked your ability to elevate the players around you. How do you feel you're able to do that?
DM: No doubt. I think that's a huge part of being a quarterback. You're the face of the team. They look to you, and my responsibility is to get to know the guys personally. I think that's the biggest thing: genuine relationships. That's kind of what I feed off of. I get to know the guys truly because you may not be able to handle different guys the same way. One guy, you might be able to get on him a little bit, yell at him or be a little hard on him. I had some receivers that I could do that with, and some of the offensive linemen, it was more kind of gentle, friendly and just picking them up. So, just get to know the guys personally. I think that's the biggest thing, and just be one of the guys. I think going in there as a top-three pick rookie, I think you kind of – just stay humble. Worry about my play on the field, winning games and that's what I'm playing the game for. I love football, and I love winning. I think the biggest thing is that I hate losing. I hate losing in anything I do; it doesn't matter what it is.
Q: Drake, what can Patriots fans expect from you when you get here? Obviously, you're full of charisma, you're excited about this opportunity, but what can Patriots fans expect when you get here?
DM: A competitor and a winner. I think those are the main things that come to mind. It doesn't matter if I'm racing you out the door, or if we're on the field competing. I think competing to win: that's what Patriots Nation is about. That's what they know how to do, and I'm ready to come in and do that.
Q: Drake, obviously, it's been a long few months here with the pre-draft process. I know you still have a lot of work ahead of you once you get to New England, but how does it feel just to have this portion of this offseason behind you?
DM: Yeah, it's awesome actually. I think it's a long process: preparing for the season, working out for the Combine, then Pro Day, then these visits. It's an awesome experience, though. A lot of learning, a lot to get to know about the NFL, get to know about the league. I get to meet a lot of different people, a lot of awesome coaches and awesome players. But, I'm excited to get to rookie minicamp, get to know the fellow Patriots and just ready to get to Foxborough.
Q: Drake, you mentioned Combine interviews in this process. What did you learn through the course of the interviews that you know you need to address before you take the field as a Patriot, things you've gained from this process that you'll try to invest in improving yourself?
DM: No doubt. I think the biggest thing I learned is just be myself. Don't change for the NFL, don't change for anybody that's hating or downplaying me. Just be myself, be who I am. I'm not going to change. You're getting Drake Maye; that's who I am. Y'all are going to see it day in and day out. Maybe not as much as energy as sitting in those interview rooms like now, but it's one of the best days of my life. I can't thank Pats Nation enough and the front office and coaches for trusting me. I promise you won't regret it, and I'm looking forward to it.
