Bill O’Brien shares his candid look at Drake Maye’s Patriots potential originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

There will be a lot more attention on the New England Patriots this Sunday than in recent weeks.

That’s because highly touted rookie quarterback Drake Maye will make his first NFL start after backing up veteran Jacoby Brissett in Weeks 1 through 5.

Maye faces a tough task in Week 6, leading one of the league’s worst offenses against a Houston Texans defense that boasts the NFL’s highest QB pressure. But is the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft talented enough to turn things around in New England after the team’s 1-4 start?

Bill O’Brien, Boston College head coach and former Patriots offensive coordinator, knows a lot about developing a talented rookie from his days working with Deshaun Watson as the Texans’ head coach from 2014 to 2020. O’Brien joined Patriots Pregame Live on Sunday to share his assessment of Maye and expectations for the 22-year-old.

“I don’t know if I’d call it a roll of the dice, but I do think expectations need to be lowered a little bit,” O’Brien said of Maye. “I know Drake. He’s a really, really good player. I was at Alabama (as OC in 2021 and 2022) right after they recruited him. … They thought highly of him. Excellent football player. Really. good athlete , very smart, very instinctive, has a good arm, he is accurate.”

However, as O’Brien noted, there is a huge difference between the college game and the pros. And even though Maye got a taste of NFL action during a Week 3 loss to the New York Jets, O’Brien believes there will be growing pains for the rookie.

“It’s a different game. … It’s much faster, the schedules are different,” O’Brien said. “Sometimes as a newcomer you have the feeling that you are almost playing in a telephone booth, because some of the teams you play against defend so well. So of course you have to give him time.”

O’Brien thinks Maye has the tools to be a successful quarterback, but he also preaches patience to fans in New England who want to see Maye succeed right away.

“I really believe in Drake,” O’Brien said. “From what I know of him, I think this guy is going to be very good. But that won’t happen overnight.”

See more from O’Brien on how the Patriots should model their offense around Maye, his thoughts on Jerod Mayo and more in the full interview below.