Former NFLer Issues Grave Warning about Drake Maye
There’s a draft take for everything, and the latest involves North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye.
Former NFLer Issues Grave Warning about Drake Maye
Maye is firmly on Minnesota Vikings fans’ radar, so much so that he can considered the favorite among purple masses to land in the Twin Cities later this month. After Minnesota pulled off a trade in March, grabbing an additional 1st-Round pick from the Houston Texans while offloading two 2nd-Rounders in the deal, plus a late-round pick swap, most Vikings loyalists decided the eventual draft pick would either be Maye or Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy.
But according to ex-NFLer Merrill Hoge, Maye will get everyone fired. Plain and simple. When the Vikings or any team signs on his dotted line in two weeks, that front office will jump on the hot seat, says Hoge.
“Drake Maye is the kind of player that will get you fired. Especially if you draft him in the top five or top three, he’s going to get you fired,” Hoge told WCCO last week.
It’s a rare and wild draft take from Hoge, as most pundits believe Maye has one of the highest upsides in this draft class. Of course, he can refine his footwork and decision-making, but that applies to every rookie. Moreover, the statement is odd because any quarterback taken in the draft’s Top 3, 5, or 10 who fails would likely get a general manager or head coach fired.
Thankfully, many of Hoge’s draft takes in the past turned out wacky. Four years ago, he claimed Justin Herbert was “too slow” for the pros and lacked the proper “twitch” to thrive as a professional.
Hoge also claimed 16 years ago that Brian Brohm, a Green Bay Packers draft pick, would surpass Aaron Rodgers on the depth chart while the cheese team was kicking off life after Brett Favre. That was false.
Last month, Maye became more gettable for Minnesota after Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah pulled off the aforementioned trade. Most identified the move as a sign that Minnesota would trade up the board once again — probably on draft night, April 25th. Vikings enthusiasts have spent the last few weeks debating the merits of trading next year’s 1st-Rounder — in addition to two 1st-Rounders this year — in a deal that could net Maye or McCarthy. The Vikings would obviously prefer to hang onto next year’s 1st-Round capital because Minnesota could have a lousy record in 2024 with Sam Darnold and a rookie quarterback at the helm.
According to Hoge, McCarthy should evidently be the pick because adding Maye is a fireable offense.
The Vikings have never used a Top 10 pick on a quarterback, so if Adofo-Mensah pulls off the trade, he’ll make history no matter what.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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