Some NFL talent evaluators see in Drake Maye similarities to the quarterback the Giants might draft him to replace.
Others see a version of the quarterback the Giants supposedly most coveted before pivoting to Daniel Jones in the 2019 draft.
Is Maye — a 6-foot-4 Charlotte, N.C., native who played college football on Tobacco Road — essentially Jones 2.0, with North Carolina substituted for Duke?
Or, as multiple scouts told The Post around the middle of last season, is he comparable to Justin Herbert?
Then-Giants general manager Dave Gettleman had an eye for Herbert before he surprisingly returned to school for another year and left the Giants to target Jones.
“Drake is more Daniel than Justin,” one scout said. “His arm is not live like Justin’s, but he is mobile and you can move the pocket or do some designed runs with him.”
The Giants drafted Jones at pick No. 6, and he took over for Eli Manning in Week 3 as a rookie.
One year later, the Chargers drafted Herbert at No. 6 — after the Jones-led Giants passed at No. 4 — and he started Week 2 on his way to 2020 Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. dislikes comparisons because they “never work out” and can be spun to fit positive or negative narratives.
The Maye-Herbert comparisons he once heard in NFL circles have quieted.
“Not as much in terms of the accuracy,” Kiper told The Post. “That’s the one thing that was off this year. He looks the part of Herbert physically and athletically, but he didn’t play like him. He was missing some open receivers, he was off-target with some balls that were caught that weren’t thrown precisely … to maximize yards after the catch. He didn’t play his best football late in the year.”
The Giants, who will pick No. 6 again, are believed to have privately worked out Maye last week in Chapel Hill, N.C., after general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll attended Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr.’s Pro Day instead of North Carolina’s.
It was at least Maye’s third time in front of Giants’ brass, including meetings at the NFL Scouting Combine and at the team’s East Rutherford facility.
He has built a relationship with Manning through Manning’s former college teammate David Morris — the quarterback trainer for Maye and, ironically, Jones.
“I think you have to have a certain type of makeup to be a successful quarterback in New York,” Giants owner John Mara said recently. “Eli obviously had it. I think Daniel has it. I don’t think it’s for everybody.”
But it’s wrong to assume that Maye’s personality is a carbon copy of the publicly guarded but popular with teammates Jones just because of their similar backgrounds.
“Maye’s energy is awesome,” said one person familiar with both quarterbacks. “There’s nothing wrong with the way Daniel goes about his business, but Maye’s approach is 180-degree opposite.”
If there is one general manager-head coach combination that might not be scared off by Maye’s accuracy decline (career-low 63.3 percent last season) it is Schoen-Daboll.
They were part of the Bills’ stealing of Josh Allen at No. 7 in the 2018 draft, when other teams were wary of his career 56.2 completion percentage.
Maye played for a new coordinator and with new receivers behind a woeful offensive line last season, which could be akin to Allen playing with an underwhelming supporting cast at Wyoming.
“Drake has a really strong arm, but he doesn’t have Josh Allen’s arm strength. Nobody does,” Kiper said. “[Fixing accuracy] is footwork and tying everything together … but history tells us you can improve arm strength and accuracy when you are in the league.”
The Giants could be uniquely situated to allow Maye time to develop as long as Jones’ recovery from a torn ACL remains on track.
Because Jones is due a $35.5 million fully guaranteed salary, the level of commitment to him starting the season and surviving a rough patch is different than the Commanders (No. 2 pick) or Patriots (No. 3) with respective caretakers Marcus Mariota and Jacoby Brissett.
There will be an expectation for Maye to start Week 1 if the Vikings (No. 11) or Broncos (No. 13) trade up.
Then again, Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy — another top-four quarterback prospect whom the Giants have invested lots of time in — also could benefit from a season spent on the bench.
“Drake has a longer delivery than Herbert — and it was longer this year than it was in 2022 when he played much better,” Kiper said. “It looked like at Pro Day he was working on tightening that … but Drake is just not ready. If you are struggling against collegiate competition, what are you going to do in the NFL? He’s only 21, just like J.J. These kids are still very young, even though they played two full years as a starter.”
Maye doesn’t represent a Jones-Herbert do-over years in the making, but he still might represent the Giants’ future.
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