Patriots select North Carolina QB Drake Maye with No. 3 overall pick in 2024 NFL Draft

The New England Patriots' revamped regime, led by head coach Jerod Mayo and director of scouting Eliot Wolf, put a stamp on its first offseason by selecting a franchise quarterback.

The Patriots selected North Carolina's Drake Maye No. 3 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday in Detroit.

The Pats' last foray into the first-round QB game withered in the final years of the Bill Belichick era. Mac Jones never developed beyond his rookie season and was ultimately traded to Jacksonville this offseason.

New England sees more promise under Maye.

The UNC product sports prototypical size at 6-foot-4, 223 pounds, with enviable arm talent. The Tar Heel boasts the arm strength to put the ball into any window on the field with velocity, but he's not all fastball, showing the ability to vary speeds when needed.

In the brutal winters in Foxborough, where the wind can whip and whistle, having a big arm to cut through the cold is advantageous -- as is the size Maye brings to the table.

The youngest of four boys (his older brother, Luke, won a men's basketball national championship at UNC), Maye's toughness jumps off the tape. He's willing to stand in the pocket against pressure, trusting his arm to make throws while taking a hit. Owning the ability to escape pressure, he's also a load in space, able to convert first downs and run through defenders, but he knows when to slide to avoid a big hit.

In two seasons as the starter at UNC, Maye threw for 7,929 yards with 62 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. In his first season in the driver's seat, he completed 66.2% of 517 attempts for 4,321 yards with 38 TDs and seven INTs. His numbers dipped in 2023 after losing his top two receiving targets (Josh Downs and Antoine Green) to the NFL, but he still