Joel Klatt calls Drake Maye a ‘slam dunk’ NFL draft prospect

This year’s NFL Draft is loaded at the quarterback position, headlined by USC‘s Caleb Williams who is regarded by the vast majority as a generational talent and the surefire No. 1 overall pick. But North Carolina quarterback is a high-end prospect as well following two impressive seasons with the Tar Heels.

College football analyst Joel Klatt recently released his first mock draft of the offseason for the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Having Maye slotted as the No. 2 overall selection for the Washington Commanders as a potential franchise-altering player.

“That puts the Commanders on the clock and the Commanders are gonna take, I think, Drake Maye,” Klatt said. “Drake Maye to me without Williams in the draft would be a slam dunk number one pick in the draft. This is a guy that is insanely talented.”

Maye burst onto the scene in 2022 in his first season as North Carolina’s starter as a redshirt freshman, throwing for 4,321 yards and 38 touchdown passes while also being the teams leading rusher with 698 rushing yards and seven scores on the ground. Capping off his first full season under center for the Tar Heels with a three-touchdown performance that impressed Klatt in the broadcast booth.

“I got to call one of his games, it was the Holiday Bowl last year, not this last one between USC and Louisville but last year when it was North Carolina-Oregon. And Maye, even in a loss to the Ducks, was sensational. I mean my jaw was on the floor most of the night in the booth just because of some of the plays and throws that he was making,” Klatt explained.

With an ideal build for the position standing at 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, and the ability to get the job done with his arm and legs, Maye has drawn some pretty lofty comparisons in the evaluation process. As Klatt believes he possesses exactly what the Washington Commanders need as they usher in a new era for the franchise.

“He is a bit Josh Allen 2.0 for me and when you look at him in college, he’s better than what Allen was at Wyoming. He’s big, there is some athleticism in the pocket, but then his ability to get the ball out and on target is pretty exquisite.”

“[Kliff] Kingsbury is their new OC, Sam Howell led the league in picks this year with 21. This is an opportunity to again get at the beginning of a rookie contract and get a guy that’s insanely talented,” Klatt concluded.