Mel Kiper Jr. analyzes Justin Herbert comparison for Drake Maye

As the 2024 NFL Draft creeps closer and closer and players announce their intentions, the player comparisons begin to get made. And there’s an interesting one for North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye.

ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. opined a little bit about the comparison.

“The (Justin) Herbert-Drake Maye comparison’s going to be out there, and I don’t really have a problem with it,” Kiper said on a recent edition of ESPN’s First Draft.

That’s not a bad comparison on the surface for Drake Maye.

Herbert was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, a draft slot that would obviously appeal to Maye. Herbert also walked into a situation in the NFL where he was able to quickly start with a fairly supportive surrounding cast.

But the comparison has legs for other reasons, too. Some not so good.

“The Justin Herbert comparison’s going to be out there for Drake Maye,” Kiper said. “Looks like him, the delivery, everything about him. Everything’s there for the comp to be Justin Herbert.”

If there’s one problematic area of the comparison for Maye, it’s that Herbert hasn’t always been his best when the field gets condensed and he’s got to make good decisions and pinpoint throws in tight windows.

“I remember when Justin Herbert played Oregon and Bo Nix‘s first start was Auburn against Oregon, and Justin drove, they got them down there, final minutes, and they had one play,” Kiper said. “He throws, he’s at like the 30-yard line of Auburn, throws the ball out of the end zone. I mean he didn’t give his guys a chance. Put the ball in play. Put the ball in play. So we nitpick about things, but I’m sitting there saying, ‘Why couldn’t you put that ball in play, give your team a shot?’ And if we’re going to critique Justin’s career so far, it’s finishing.

“So Justin has had the ball in his hands, needing field goal, touchdown, and it hasn’t happened.”

The stat lines between the two also look remarkably similar in their final seasons in college. Take a look below.

Justin Herbert: 286-of-428 (66.8%) for 3,471 yards, 32 TDs, 6 INTs
Drake Maye: 269-of-425 (63.3%) for 3,608 yards, 24 TDs, 9 INTs

Of course, Maye has a decided advantage when it comes to rushing stats, and that might be something that catches the eyes of NFL scouts as they put together their draft boards.

In any case, Kiper agrees with the comparison for Maye. It’s an interesting one, no doubt.