QB Stock Market Week 9: Drake Maye is the Best Young Quarterback in Football

The New England Patriots are spoiled rotten. They barely had to exist without a top-flight quarterback. New England enjoyed Tom Brady for two decades, and now, it seems Drake Maye has established himself as one of the league’s best QBs. 

Heading into Week 9, he’s been the best quarterback.

QB Stock Market isn’t your typical quarterback rankings. I’m focused on monitoring the fluctuations of a QB’s performance throughout the season. No one — not even Patrick Mahomes — is safe at the top. No one — not even Justin Fields — is stuck at the bottom. There is room for quick ascent — and rapid decline. One question holds most important: What have you done for your team lately?

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The Patriots quarterback is making covered receivers look open and open receivers look like they’ve exploited busted coverage. 

We all knew Maye had an incredible arm. It was clear at UNC, and it held true in his rookie year. 

But Maye has a newfound accuracy and touch that keep the Patriots on schedule. When Mack Hollins or Stefon Diggs run a route that’s supposed to move the chains, Maye puts the ball exactly where it needs to be and with the necessary velocity. Everyone is going to buzz and gush — rightfully so — over the deep game. But even last year, that was a huge part of his toolbox. I’m most impressed with Maye’s mastery of the ho-hum quick game, of the way Maye recognizes, anticipates and attacks holes in zone defenses, and of the way Maye makes sure bad plays don’t get worse. 

When you combine that fundamentally strong play with the splash plays, you have one of the NFL’s hardest-to-stop weapons — even on a day when Browns edge Myles Garrett had a franchise-best five sacks.

Simply put, there’s a