In contention to become the No. 2 overall pick, Drake Maye will meet with the team holding that selection soon. The two-year North Carolina starter will head to Washington for a meeting next week.
The Commanders will use a “30” visit on Maye, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicating the high-end QB prospect will be in Washington on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. Maye’s visit will come shortly after Jayden Daniels‘; the 2023 Heisman winner will meet with the Commanders from Monday-Tuesday.
[RELATED: Who Will Commanders Choose At No. 2?]
Washington and New England sent the largest contingents to Chapel Hill for Maye’s recent pro day. This upcoming visit with Sam Howell‘s Tar Heels successor will do plenty to determine which direction the Commanders go at No. 2. With J.J. McCarthy also potentially in the mix for that spot, Washington has a rather complex decision on its hands. That said, holding the second overall pick in this draft is quite the luxury, as a few other QB-needy teams will need to part with considerable assets to move into the top four for a passer.
Maye being Howell’s UNC backup to start his career brings an interesting wrinkle, though the coaching staff, lead front office decision-maker and owner are different from when the team committed to Howell as its starter. Though, multiple front office bastions (Martin Mayhew, Marty Hurney) are still in place from the Ron Rivera period, which produced a fifth-round Howell pick in 2022. But new FO chief Adam Peters is running the show for Josh Harris‘ team now. The Commanders traded Howell to the Seahawks last month, clearing the way for a Harris-Peters-Dan Quinn QB draftee.
A recent Giants-Maye rumor emerged recently, and new Vikings QBs coach Josh McCown mentored Maye in high school. The Patriots have certainly been closely connected to the standout ACC passer. But the Commanders can render all of this moot by choosing the 6-foot-4 QB second overall (assuming the Bears follow through on their long-expected Caleb Williams choice at 1).
Maye brings some advantages on Daniels, being more than two years younger and bringing a more prototypical QB build into the equation. Maye will turn 22 this summer, while Daniels will be 24 before his rookie season ends. Maye weighed 223 pounds at the Combine, while Daniels measured 210. Daniels, of course, dominated as a runner during his Heisman season, surpassing 1,100 yards on the ground. Maye, however, posted a 698-yard rushing season in his 2022 breakout campaign — one that included 4,321 passing yards and a 38-7 TD-INT ratio. In 12 games last season, Maye was slightly less impressive (3,608, 24-9). And the strong-armed prospect has generated criticism as more of a boom-or-bust prospect ahead of the draft.
Of course, Maye may have looked better as a prospect had he played five college seasons like Daniels did. As it stands, the Commanders will need to measure Maye’s two seasons as a primary college starter against Daniels’ four. With McCarthy also factoring in, Washington’s decision promises to be one of the most interesting QB calls in recent draft history.