Jerod Mayo admits Drake Maye pick could define his Patriots legacy

For the first time in a few years, there is reason to watch the New England Patriots. No longer are we subjected to Bill Belichick's crotchety old way of doing things. No longer do we have to suffer the consequences of the team navigating a draft board that not even Belichick's dog could understand. The Patriots opted to use the No. 3 overall pick on former North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye.

To me, Maye offers the widest variance of any of the six first-round quarterbacks taken last Thursday night. He could be the next Aaron Rodgers, or he could be Andrew Suck... What is important to understand is that new Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo seems to understand the magnitude of the moment. Like, he totally gets his and general manager Eliot Wolf's names are attached to this pick.

With a great level of self-awareness, here is what Mayo said to Cameron Wolfe of the NFL Network.

"Our legacy will be defined by and tied to the player who we draft at (No.) 3. I know I asked the fans for patience. But they won't give me patience. I'm good with it. We're ready for the challenge."

Mayo hinted that Belichick would have somehow found a way to squander the No. 3 overall pick here.

"With Bill, we probably would have traded back to get more picks. Our path for so long has been accumulating more picks because it was our process. And we still believe in that. But we also believe when you're at a position at No. 3, you have to get it right and get a cornerstone player."

While he does believe in long-term plans, Mayo recognizes the value of having a rookie quarterback.

"Like Bill, I believe in draft-and-develop long-term. It's always good to have a quarterback on a rookie deal. At the same time, I don't want to get into the game of, 'I really like this guy, let me trade back 3 picks to pick something up.' No, just take him. If we feel like he's an impact player, then take him."

More and more, I love the pick the Patriots made to take Maye No. 3 overall out of North Carolina.

Jerod Mayo recognizes what is at stake with the Drake Maye draft pick

At best, the Patriots are still a year away from being a year away. Belichick took a perennial power and turned it into one of the worst rosters I have ever seen since I began covering football professionally nearly a decade ago. While I hated how quick of a search it was to tab Mayo as Belichick's successor, I have come to like the head-coaching hire more and more each day. There are plenty of reasons for it.

Outside of the Maye draft pick, I am a big fan of the partnership Mayo has with Wolf, one where they can work collaboratively together in building up the fallen evil empire. However, my favorite thing the Patriots did this offseason was hire Alex Van Pelt to be their offensive coordinator. His track record speaks for itself. I fully expect Van Pelt to be a reason why Maye achieves great success early on.

Truth be told, you and I and everyone don't have a remote clue how things are going to go for the new pillars of the Patriots franchise. We may wish them the best, but then again, do we really want to see the Patriots wreak havoc over the league for the next quarter century? To me, I would love to see them be competitive again, so I appreciate Mayo and Wolf sticking their necks out there to land Maye.

If Maye is closer to Drew Bledsoe than he is to Mac Jones, then that is fantastic news for the Patriots.