Drake Maye details private chat with Eli Manning as NFL Draft hopes analysed
NFL Draft prospect Drake Maye has shared advice that he received former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning.
At the Scouting Combine, Maye revealed: "Eli [told me] just be myself, don’t be somebody I’m not. At the end of the day, don’t give the NFL too much spotlight or credit. Go out there and play ball."
He added: "I think Eli would say he’s probably seen me too much. I’ve been following him around. It’s always on Zooms. I think the biggest thing is being a sponge and soaking it all in. I don’t have all the answers. I don’t know it all, being up there with Eli."
Maye is eager to learn everything he can from quarterbacks who have already done what he hopes to achieve - training with Philip Rivers before the draft.
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The quarterback from North Carolina has been talked about as one of the best new players since he started shining in the 2022 season. Teams like the Washington Commanders and New England Patriots are thought to be keen on picking him to solve their need for a top quarterback.
But some experts are not convinced that Maye is ready to be a top NFL player right away. Former Detroit Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky believes Maye might need a couple of years to get ready, just like Jordan Love from the Green Bay Packers did.
Orlovsky said: "[Maye] is extremely athletic, this kid is a superstar athlete. If you look at the rushing yardage in the past two seasons comparing him and Caleb Williams, he’s got a lot more. The athleticism is off the charts. Now, I would absolutely take Drake Maye in the first round, but this is what needs to happen with Drake Maye, he needs to be Jordan Love. He needs to be on the Jordan Love plan.
Two-time Super Bowl winner Eli Manning has mentored several quarterbacks since retiring (Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)"I remember saying Jordan Love had some of the wildest throws in that draft class. I feel that way about Drake Maye. Drake Maye’s feet are a mess, so were Jordan Love’s. You need to give this young man time to fix his feet."
Orlovsky also mentioned: "If a general manager told me, 'We are taking Drake Maye and there is no shot he is going to play for the first two years', I’m in because if you don’t fix your feet going into the NFL, I don’t care who you are."
There are also rumorrs that Maye might not get picked as early in the draft had been projected. This week, Merril Hoge stated that Maye's playing is "inconsistent", while needing to improve on multiple areas of his game. He also made it clear that he doesn't think Maye should be picked in the first round.
Some had initially believed that Maye might be chosen first in the draft, but now it looks like Caleb Williams from USC will get that spot with the Chicago Bears have already been talking to him this week. The Bears picked Justin Fields as their quarterback in 2021, but it seems they're going to trade him and let Williams take over.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.
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