Drake Maye — NFL Mock Draft Roundup 1.0

It's a new era in Washington led by general manager Adam Peters. The Commanders find their quarterback of the future in Maye.

Wow. This is all happening so fast! A generation of Washington fans have never believed that there would come a time that Dan Snyder would give up control of the team, yet here we are, landing the top available GM as the cherry on top of our new-owner sundae. Adam Peters has presided over the 49ers draft (officially) since 2017 and has been instrumental in building arguably the best roster in football.

Now, questions can be asked about his first round picks (Solomon Thomas, Reuben Foster, Mike McGlinchey, and of course their three-first round QB Trey Lance), but his mid to late round prowess has built incredible depth for San Francisco. Stars like Dre Greenlaw, Fred Warner and George Kittle were all drafted in the third round or later. Peter was clearly also involved in bringing in key stars like Trent Williams and Christian McCaffrey.

Step one was getting Snyder out, step two is getting a GM, and the Skins have accomplished both. Next up? Hire the right coach and pick the right QB at #2 in April. Then, hopefully rebrand (again).

As JP Finlay stated after the Peters hire, 'In about seven months, the Josh Harris ownership group has turned Washington from NFL pariah to NFL destination. That's remarkable.' Remarkable indeed. The future is bright(er), Washington fans!

The quarterback who took over for Sam Howell in Chapel Hill also happens to the be one to take over his starting job in the NFL. Howell has staying power in the NFL as a backup, but his range of outcomes on a play-by-play basis is too volatile to solidify his long-term standing.

Maye is a pure pocket passer with mobility and the full franchise quarterback skill set. Sam Howell played relatively well -- and really flashed at times in Year 2 -- but with a new coaching staff incoming in D.C., this is almost a lock to be a quarterback, and Maye would be the right choice.

With Williams off the board, the Commanders happily settle for Drake Maye, where they appear ready to move on from Sam Howell.

Recently hired Adam Peters has taken over all football decisions for Washington and has a chance to flip things quickly with three picks in the top 40.

Obviously, this selection will depend on what the Bears do. Will it be as simple as drafting whoever doesn't go No. 1 between Williams and Maye? Very possible. Maye is a fantastic consolation prize and has the talent to develop into a top-10 NFL quarterback.

It's a full-blown restart in New England with Bill Belichick out. Crazy, right? Talent lacks in a multitude of spots for the Patriots and the only way to compete in the AFC East moving forward is to restart with fresh legs under center. Drake Maye not only looks the part at 6-foot-4 but has the skill set that should translate quickly to the NFL game. More talent is needed on the perimeter, however, if the Patriots want to provide themselves a clean window into Maye's evaluation early in his career.

The consolation prize for the Washington Commanders selecting No. 2 is that the work is done for them if they fall in love with both quarterback options. Here, the Commanders grab North Carolina's Drake Maye but would have been just as happy to grab Caleb Williams.

Maye is the heir apparent to Sam Howell once again, raising the proverbial floor for the Commanders. He's a talented passer with an incredible pocket presence who can make every throw. The new regime in Washington has a new face of the franchise all the same.

The Commanders will have a new general manager and head coach soon — reportedly 49ers assistant GM Adam Peters will be the top guy and hire the coach — so Sam Howell will likely have competition in the quarterback room next year. Maye's prototypical size (6-foot-4, 230 pounds), elite arm talent and ability as a runner will cause some to question whether Williams is really the top QB in this draft class. Spoiler alert: Williams is the top QB in this draft class, but I like Maye a lot too.

Drake Maye is a perfect fit for the New England Patriots given his size and arm talent. A strong arm is needed in the AFC East with so many games played in poor weather.

Maye isn't a perfect prospect because he needs to clean up his decision-making and accuracy, but this would be a fantastic selection by the Patriots should he be available at No. 3.

It was a brutal season for the Commanders, yet bottoming out will be tremendous for them in the long run. Picking second overall in this draft (on top of competent ownership) makes their front office and coaching staff openings much more attractive.

Whoever lands those roles will walk away with the best available quarterback at this selection. Maye's size and ability to throw with touch and consistent accuracy makes him a no-brainer as the future of this franchise.

Maye could wind up as QB1 when it's all over — it'll likely depend on which team makes that pick in the top spot. However, Washington is guaranteed at least one of these guys, which is all that matters for the Commanders.

Like Williams, Maye is ready to come into the league and compete right now. His arm talent, confidence to attack the middle of the field, IQ and athleticism at 6 feet 4, 230 pounds are all elite for a 21-year-old QB.

Maye may not have the explosiveness of Caleb Williams, but he's sturdier and steadier. A high floor quarterback is exactly the balm an oft-burned Bears team needs. And while Maye isn't the runner Williams or Justin Fields is, he's still a reliable scrambler who can extend plays or turn upfield to save drives with his legs. He's got nearly 1,200 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground over his last two seasons.

With new ownership -- and soon a new coach -- the Commanders are in desperate need of a spark. Maye can be just that. With a powerful arm to make any downfield throw, he can attack all three levels of the field. This season, he completed 35 passes of 20-plus air yards, the third most in the FBS. Maye still needs to improve his decision-making and progressions, but he is commonly getting comps to Justin Herbert. That speaks to his upside. Sam Howell flashed this season, but he threw a matching 21 touchdown passes and 21 interceptions.

The Commanders already have solid offensive targets in Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson, and with four additional picks in the first three rounds, Washington could see a quick turnaround.

As tantalizing as the idea of adding Jayden Daniels would be, I'm sticking with Maye here. A lot could change based on who gets hired to coach the team, and by then, Michael Penix and Jayden Daniels could get in the mix.