“Drake Maye is Gonna Be a Superstar”: Jon Gruden Picks Patriots Rookie Over Jayden Daniels

On Thursday, Barstool Sports announced they had hired former head coach Jon Gruden. The Super Bowl XXXVII champion’s role in their organization is unclear, but he started his tenure by joining the company’s livestream for the Washington Commanders-Philadelphia Eagles Thursday Night Football matchup.

As the third quarter of the game came to a close, background conversation centered on this year’s rookie quarterbacks. While almost every analyst has fawned over Jayden Daniels as the best quarterback of the class, Gruden hitched himself to another choice. But it wasn’t Caleb Williams; it was Drake Maye.

“Drake Maye is gonna be a superstar. Drake Maye is gonna be everything [the New England Patriots] are looking for… five-star bad ass. He’s a horse, man… I love him.”

Gruden’s final three words came in response to a question asking if he’d “take [Maye] over Jayden [Daniels]?” His confidence in Maye is surely something his new boss, Dave Portnoy – a noted New England fan – loved to hear.

Do early metrics support Gruden’s assertion?

Throughout the draft process, Daniels was considered a more “pro-ready” prospect than Maye. There was a near-consensus that Maye would be best suited sitting on the bench for the majority of this season, a la Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and others. However, New England elected to give him the reigns to their offense – and franchise – in Week 6.

Maye has had some ups-and-downs through five starts. He has completed 65.5% of his passes (93/142) in those games for 932 yards and seven touchdowns. He also has five interceptions, which are the downside of his gunslinger mentality. The upside, though, leads to plays – and drives – like the game-tying touchdown possession he orchestrated against the Tennessee Titans.

Daniels, of course, possesses a ceiling of similar or loftier heights. It’s rare to see rookies take to the NFL in the manner he has. He earned his starting gig earlier than Maye, and has better per-game numbers across the board than his AFC counterpart.

The last two weeks have dimmed Daniels’ shine a bit. Those subpar performances – 39/66 (59.1%) for 393 yards, one touchdown and one interception – came against teams with stingy defenses and a combined 15-4 record. Maye’s top showings were against non-playoff contenders (Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Chicago Bears).

Nobody can deny Maye’s traits are high-level. His intangibles have also stuck out. There’s a lot there for Patriots fans to like; he could even prove Gruden – who never said Daniels wouldn’t be a star – correct. But thus far, Daniels is the runaway better player. He can’t be dismissed because of two poor contests.