New England Patriots general manager Eliot Wolf wants Drake Maye to step up as a leader this season. "I think one area I know he’s going to take a step forward and has already is in his leadership," Wolf said, according to PFF. "As a rookie, maybe you feel like it’s not your place to speak up but those times are over for him now."
A year ago, when the Patriots trotted out one of the least talented rosters in the NFL, that request would have felt trite. Now it feels a little more reasonable, as Maye enters his second season surrounded by a revamped offense — both on the line and at the skill positions.
New England drafted offensive players with its first four picks in the NFL Draft: tackle Will Campbell, running back TreVeyon Henderson, wide receiver Kyle Williams and center Jared Wilson. Leadership — and team succedss — feels more attainable with NFL talent at positions this team was woefully thin at last year.
Drake Maye impressed in his rookie season, and now the expectations arrive
Patriots fans had one main hope for Maye in his rookie season: please don't die. The offensive line was one of the worst in football and the receiving corps wasn't much better. Maye didn't die, and actually played about as well as anyone hoped he would, considering the dearth of game-changing talent around him.
Now the expectations have changed a bit. Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins and Kyle Williams will lead a completely new receivers room, while Will Campbell and Morgan Moses hope to give Maye at least a few seconds in the pocket this season, versus the running for his life he had to do last year.
The expectations aren't Super Bowl or MVP for Maye — more talent on the roster doesn't mean things will turn around overnight — but staying competitive week to week isn't an unfair ask. The leadership that Wolf alluded to also isn't too much to ask for; at times, Maye used raw talent to elevate a barren roster in 2024. In 2025, elevating a more talented roster will require that talent, plus the leadership this franchise wants to see from its signal-caller.
