Where Did Former UNC Star Drake Maye Land in New NFL QB Ranking?

Former North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye has been one of the more successful players to come from the program in recent memory.

Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots, has only been in the league for a few years, but he has played well. The former North Carolina star did lead the Patriots to the Super Bowl last season, and he is on his way to a strong career in the NFL.

For 2026, Maye has New England sitting with a record of 4-3 on the year entering Week 8 of the NFL season. The veteran signal-caller has been a little shaky through the first few weeks of the season, but he has found his footing of late.

Entering Week 8 of the season, Maye came in ranked as the No. 8 overall quarterback in the league by NFL.com analyst Nick Shook. Based on how Maye has performed of late, this spot for him does seem like a good landing place.

So far this year, Maye has thrown for 1,784 yards with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The former Tar Heels star has been fairly turnover-prone in 2026, and it has hurt the Patriots on the field at times.

But over the last few weeks, Maye has done a better job of holding onto the football, allowing his team to have a stronger chance to win. New England has looked like the team that went to the Super Bowl last season recently, with much of that being due to the play from Maye.

Maye's turnaround this season has allowed New England to play more freely, giving the team an explosive offensive attack again. The Patriots run game hasn't worked well this year, forcing Maye to put more on his shoulders.

But the star quarterback has embraced this role, keeping the team involved in games with a chance to win. If Maye can continue his strong play the rest of the season, the Patriots could look to make another run to the Super Bowl.

The former North Carolina star has performed well in the NFL in a limited time, making the program very proud that he represents it. North Carolina is a proud football program, and Maye has done a good job of showing players what they can become in the NFL.

Next up for Maye and the Patriots is a matchup with the Miami Dolphins this weekend.