Patriots could be on the verge of a major mistake in Drake Maye's development

I may have hated the Jerod Mayo promotion from within when it happened, but in the months since the New England Patriots changed guard, I have liked more and more of what they have done this offseason. Hiring Alex Van Pelt to be the offensive coordinator was brilliant, as was bringing a familiar face back into the fold in Jacoby Brissett. Most importantly, they wisely drafted Drake Maye at No. 3.

What we have to understand is that success for the Patriots this season is not going to come in wins, but rather visual progress. That requires the team to buy into the new coaching staff, as well as developing key players on the team like Maye. However, the last thing Mayo can do to help in that regard is feed Maye to the wolves before he is ready. He may let him win the starting job out of camp.

Right now, Mayo is wisely leaning towards going with Brissett as the Patriots' Week 1 starter as he "is the most pro ready." Of course, he is. Brissett has been in the league for like a decade. He has a bright future in football far beyond his playing career. From coaching to front office roles, the man can do anything. It is why he needs to be the starter and the mentor for Maye until he is ready to give it his all.

Mayo leaving the door open for Maye to be the Week 1 starter is not what I would want to be hearing.

The quickest way to ruin is forcing Maye out there weeks, or even months, before he is ready to rock.

Jerod Mayo cannot afford to ruin Drake Maye before he is ready to play

Of the six quarterbacks taken in the first-round of the 2024 NFL Draft, I would argue that Maye is either the second or third-least pro-ready. Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy is nowhere close to being the starter. Had Michael Penix Jr. gone to a different situation, he might see the field sooner than what he probably will with the Atlanta Falcons. That leaves us with the other three guys...

I would be shocked if Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix are not the Week 1 starters for the Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders and Denver Broncos, respectively. Two are Heisman Trophy winners, while the third banked some 61 starts at his two Power Five schools of note. All three situations vary in difficulty, but I think starting any of them in Week 1 should be the goal of fall camp.

As for Maye, I think he should start games this season, but not until we are at least a third of the way through the season. New England is probably the worst team of the six that took first-round quarterbacks. There is no reason to ragdoll your prized prospect like the Patriots once did with Jim Plunkett back in the 1970s. In time, he will be ready to play. For now, just let Brissett take all those hits.

The former North Carolina standout can be a star in the NFL, but let's not rush him into the madness.