New England Patriots QB Drake Maye has the best pocket presence in the NFL.
New England Patriots star Drake Maye was ranked the No. 1 NFL QB in pocket presence by ESPN's Dan Orlovsky.
Maye also ranked No. 7 in arm strength, No. 2 in ball placement, No. 4 in decision-making, No. 4 in second-reaction ability and No. 3 in rushing ability by Orlovsky.
"What I saw on tape matches the numbers here," Orlovsky wrote. "Maye was No. 1 in QBR inside the pocket last season at 82.5. He was surgical, completing 74.9% of his throws from there for 9.2 yards per attempt -- both tops in the NFL. The quarterbacks on this list are great at navigating out of trouble and creating operational space. There's no panic to be found as they climb the pocket to maneuver out of danger. And Maye was tremendous in 2025, using his big, strong frame and movement traits to buy time and execute."
Maye finished the 2025 regular season with 4,394 passing yards and 31 passing touchdowns while completing 72.0% of his passes. Not bad for a second-year QB.
A UNC product, Maye was second in MVP voting last season, losing the award to Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford. The youngster led the Patriots to the Super Bowl, a game the Seattle Seahawks won 29-13.
Maye enters this season with 6,670 passing yards and 46 passing touchdowns. It will be fascinating to see whether the Patriots can return to the Super Bowl and win it all. Maye and Co. have plenty of motivation after losing to the Seahawks in the Big Game last season.
The Patriots open the 2026 season with a Super Bowl rematch against the Seahawks in Seattle. That's the perfect game for Maye and Co. to get revenge.
"I think that's the biggest thing about it: It's humbling. You've got to get back to work. When you're so close and within reach, you want that feeling," Maye said. "Everybody says, 'You'll be back.' It's not that easy. So, we've got to get back to work, and I'm looking forward to trying to prove to myself that we can get back and just have another year to get a chance at it."
New England could have the best offense in the NFL this season after acquiring A.J. Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles and signing former Green Bay Packers WR Romeo Doubs. Maye is only going to get better moving forward in his career.
