ESPN Ranks Patriots’ Young Talent Toward Bottom Of NFL
Despite the Patriots drafting a highly anticipated young quarterback with Drake Maye, the young talent in New England was not rated highly in a recent ESPN article.
ESPN’s Aaron Schatz rated each NFL team’s under-25 talent and the Patriots were given the No. 25 spot. Maye and cornerback Christian Gonzalez were tagged as highly notable players for New England but that was all.
Maye, the Patriots’ No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 draft, is a player New England fans are excited to see on the field. While it’s not certain when Maye will play his first official game in a Patriots jersey, he gave the team a boost in the rankings.
“The Patriots don’t have as much young talent as you would expect from a rebuilding team, but there are some strong young assets here,” Schaltz wrote. “The top one is Maye, the quarterback of the future and this year’s No. 3 overall pick.”
Schaltz also noted the talent that Maye will be throwing to if he has a chance to play during his rookie season. The names included Ja’Lynn Polk, Javon Baker, DeMario Douglas and Tyquan Thorton, who are all under the age of 25.
Christian Gonzalez, 22, made a solid impression in an injury-shortened rookie season. Drafted in the first-round of the 2023 draft, he was making a campaign to be a big defender for the Patriots before getting sidelined early in the 2023 season with a torn labrum.
“The other top name to know is a 2023 first-round pick: 22-year-old cornerback Gonzalez. He got to play only four games as a rookie because of a torn labrum but was impressive in that first month,” Schaltz wrote. “He had one interception, one sack and 17 tackles before his injury.”
While it’s too early to say exactly how the young talent will pan out for the Patriots, it seems they have steps to take to better their young group.