When the Patriots selected UNC’s Drake Maye third overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, he became the franchise’s most coveted pick since Drew Bledsoe went No. 1 to New England in 1993.
Bledsoe, who played nine seasons with the Patriots fresh out of Washington State, knows the pressures facing a rookie quarterback. Like Maye, Bledsoe was assigned the task of reviving a struggling offense, one that went just 2-14 during the 1992 season.
Luckily, part of the Patriots’ offseason rebuild involved installing a group of coaches around Maye to help with his development.