"Not gonna be a top 5 candidate" - Rob Gronkowski pumps brakes on Drake Maye MVP talk ahead of Patriots QB's sophomore year

Many New England Patriots fans believe that they found their next Tom Brady when they drafted Drake Maye last year. The former North Carolina quarterback was selected third in the 2024 NFL draft.

Maye earned a rating of 88.1, made 225 pass completions and generated 2,276 passing yards in his first season. Seeing his impressive stats, many believe that Maye will be a top-five quarterback this season. However, former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski puts the brakes on those talks.

While speaking on the "Dudes on Dudes" podcast, the four-time Super Bowl champion believes Maye has a great team around him, but it will take him a few years before he joins the conversation of being a top-five QB.

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"Drake Maye is a great quarterback, has a good team around him now," Gronkowski said. "I can see him being a top 5 candidate for MVP in the future. Maybe year three, four, five or something along those lines. But he's not gonna be a top 5 candidate this year."

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However, Gronk did agree that Maye is on his way to becoming a good football player, but can't call him great already.

Drake Maye had an interesting time at the OTAs

Drake Maye did not have the dream start at the OTAs on Thursday. He threw four interceptions in the first eight passes he attempted, a nightmare start for a young quarterback. However, Maye was quickly able to turn the tables, impressing former tight end Hunter Henry in the process.

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"He finished practice good, as you could see," Henry said. "That's what football is -- things don't always go your way and you have to keep playing."

The 22-year-old followed it up with a "sharp and turnover-free" performance on practice two days later.

With so much pressure on his shoulders, it'll be interesting to see if Maye will be able to live up to the expectations next season.

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