Drake Maye’s Patriots recruiting pitch won’t do him any favors with Cooper Kupp

The New England Patriots have to feel awfully good about Drake Maye falling into their lap with the No. 3 pick. There's plenty to like about Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels, obviously, but Maye would've been in the No. 1 pick conversation most years (including 2025). The Pats finally landed their first franchise quarterback since Tom Brady, and Maye's rookie season was nothing short of confirmation.

After a few stinkers from Jacoby Brissett, New England threw Maye to the wolves. They asked the North Carolina product to sit behind a leaky offensive line, working with one of the worst WR rooms in the NFL while being offered very little support from the run game. And despite all that working against him, Maye still knocked his audition out of the park.

It was not a perfect season, but the talented rook made a strong first impression under constant duress. He completed 66.6 percent of his passes and threw for 2,276 yards across 12 starts, notching 15 touchdowns. Defenses were constantly in Maye's grill, but he navigated pressure with the poise of a veteran many years his senior. His reward was a trip to the Pro Bowl to replace Lamar Jackson on the AFC roster.

Not many rookie quarterbacks get to participate in the Pro Bowl festivities. Maye made the most of it, taking time to recruit potential star running mates to Foxboro.

"I definitely got to know some of the guys," Maye told Kay Adams on Up & Adams. "Tell them a little bit about Boston, about Foxboro, about Gillette a little bit, some about the fan base. It’s definitely time to get to know some guys and let them know that the Pats got some things to make some moves this offseason."

But unfortunately, the player he needs to recruit the most was not in attendance.

Drake Maye made the recruitment rounds at the Pro Bowl, but Cooper Kupp wasn't there

Maye's on to something. The Patriots have a great quarterback on a bargain rookie contract, a well-respected head coach in Mike Vrabel, and enough organizational cachet to make moves in free agency. Or on the trade market. It won't be long before wideouts are lining up to play with Maye.

The Los Angeles Rams recently put Cooper Kupp on the trade block. The 31-year-old is due almost $30 million next season, which is a lot, but New England has the cap flexibility to absorb such a contract. Since it will only cost a day-two pick, maybe even less, to acquire Kupp, the Patriots ought to be all over it — even if he wasn't present at the Pro Bowl to have Maye sell him on playing in New England.

Kupp is coming off his least productive and most injury-plagued season since 2018, his second year in the league. He went for 710 yards and six touchdowns across 12 appearances (11 starts) in 2024, struggling to maintain the level of production he has become known for as Matthew Stafford's favorite target.

This is a great buy-low opportunity for the Pats. Kupp still brings plenty to the table when he's 100 percent. There isn't a shaper route-runner in the NFL. For years, Kupp has been lining up all over the formation and attracting an absurd volume of targets from Stafford. He led all wideouts in receptions (145), yards (1,947), and touchdowns (16) back in 2021, one of the most prolific wide receiver campaigns in recent memory. That served as a precursor to Kupp winning Super Bowl MVP.

Maye, more than anything, just needs a quick safety valve on routes close to the line of scrimmage — a dependable target whom he trusts instinctively when the pocket collapses and his field of vision is impaired. Kupp can provide just that. The Patriots aren't a Super Bowl contender at first blush, but if Maye progresses in year two and the front office works hard to bolster the roster around him, New England will start stacking wins sooner than later. Vrabel did a tremendous job in his last head coaching stint with Tennessee. He knows how to turn an organization around.

Perhaps Maye can shoot Kupp a text or set up a phone call instead. The 22-year-old is smart to get on the recruiting trail, but Kupp is the ultimate prize.