Patriots Legend Describes Ideal QB, And It Sounds Like an Awful Lot Like Drake Maye

The New England Patriots should be pumped about what their Hall of Fame receiver said this week.

Dec 28, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) passes against the New York Jets during the first quarter of the game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Julian Edelman played with arguably the true example of what a perfect NFL quarterback should be in Tom Brady. The New England Patriots legend spent 11 of his 12-year career catching passes from Brady and knows exactly what a good quarterback should look like.

But what would he consider his perfect quarterback in today's game? Well, the Patriots Hall of Famer answered that question this past week.

Edelman made the trip to Foxboro to visit with this year's Patriots during their training camp practice, and spoke with NBC Sports Boston's Tom Curran about what he likes about the roster. He also answered questions about Drake Maye and what attributes he likes in quarterbacks.

When describing his ideal gunslinger, he went on to basically just describe Maye.

"I would want a bigger guy, I like bigger quarterbacks just because they can see the ball. They can see the receivers over the line of scrimmage," Edelman said in the team's media workroom. "With this new day and age, a little mobility's always a little icing on the cake. Also for those improv-type plays."

Atlanta, GA, Feb 3, 2019 - Julian Edelman makes a 3rd quarter reception and ran for 27 yds in the 3rd quarter after breaking a tackle from Ram safety John Johnson III. The New England Patriots vs Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII (53) at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. [The Providence Journal / Bob Breidenbach] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Those Traits Fit Maye's Skillset Perfectly

There are plenty of young quarterbacks in the NFL worth building around. Curran mentioned Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders), Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars), Fernando Mendoza (Las Vegas Raiders) and Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears) as names in that conversation.

When asked if Maye ranked atop that list, Edelman gave pause.

"You know, I would go with one of the younger guys, just because, and Drake's in that category. I'm not going to put a specific one out there," Edelman said before mentioning Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys), Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals) and Bo Nix (Denver Broncos) as also "really good football players."

And yet, everything Edelman said about the traits he wants -- size (Maye is 6-foot-4, 225 pounds) and mobility (Maye had 450 rushing yards last season) -- is exactly what the Patriots have in their quarterback.

"I want a guy that's hungry to learn," he said. "Keeping it with Drake Maye and being here in New England, I think that's what you have. You have a guy that's hungry to learn, he's a big kid. He's gotta learn how to continue to just keep on working at that prep and learning how to prep, and I think you're in a good spot."

Sep 28, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) passes the ball past Carolina Panthers linebacker Christian Rozeboom (56) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Maye's Abilities Rank Among The NFL's Best

Maye was just recently ranked as the 11th-best NFL player from last season, and for good reason. He led the Patriots to 17 total wins and a trip to Super Bowl LX. He threw for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns, rushed for four more and led the league with a 72% completion percentage.

His ability to use his strength and size at the position make him a rare talent, similar to how Josh Allen for the Buffalo Bills plays. His arm strength and mobility in and out of the pocket make him just as good a weapon as the players he's throwing to, and remember, he's only 23.

He's still a far cry from the quarterback Edelman played with in Brady, but he's got all the talents for today's NFL to earn the receiver's respect.

"He's going into what, year three? He's still on (the) honeymoon stage," Edelman said. "He's got a lot of great experiences to learn off of these last two years, and as long as you keep that hunger, you stay healthy and you have a good group around you -- the offensive line plays well -- good play caller, everything's gonna fall into order."

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