The New England Patriots watched two quarterbacks go off the board before drafting Drake Maye last year. Seven weeks into the 2025 season, Maye has arguably jumped to the head of the class.

Maye enters Week 8 tied with Jared Goff for the highest quarterback rating (116.4) among anyone who’s started every game. A dominant stretch has catapulted the Patriots into contention and the second-year star into the MVP picture.

Is Maye leaping ahead as the league’s best sophomore? NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks thinks so, putting Maye first when ranking the top-10 players from the 2024 draft class.

“Maye has captivated the football world with a spectacular start to his second season, spawning conversation that he could soon join the big four at quarterback (Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson

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