Drake Maye is already turning heads, and if ESPN's latest projections are any indication, the New England Patriots quarterback is poised to stay elite through 2026.

After a breakout 2025 campaign that saw him finish as the runner-up for the AP NFL MVP award, Maye is projected to throw for over 4,000 yards for the second straight season. According to ESPN's Mike Clay, the young signal-caller is expected to complete 68.2 percent of his passes for 4,002 yards, with a stellar 27-to-11 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Maye's rise has been nothing short of impressive. In 2025, he led the league with a 72 percent completion rate and racked up 4,394 passing yards—a massive leap from his rookie season total of 2,276 yards in 2024. The North Carolina native showed he has plenty of room to grow, and the Patriots are making moves to ensure he does.

New England is reportedly set to trade for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown, a game-changing addition that could transform the Patriots' passing attack. Pairing Brown with Romeo Doubs on the outside gives Maye a dynamic duo of weapons to target in 2026. On the offensive line, the team added Alijah-Verah Tucker and Caleb Lomu, the No. 28 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, to keep Maye upright in the pocket.

Even with those upgrades, Maye is projected to be sacked 45 times—just two fewer than last season—but he's expected to use his legs more, rushing for 527 yards in 2026. For a quarterback already drawing MVP buzz, that dual-threat ability only adds to his growing legend.