The Minnesota Vikings are on the search for their next franchise quarterback but according to NFL analyst Merril Hodge, the Vikings would be best served steering clear of taking one in the 2024 draft – especially Drake Maye.
In an interview with WCCO’s Henry Lake, Hodge expressed skepticism toward the North Carolina product, citing his lack of accuracy and mental processing as reasons he could fail in the NFL.
“Drake Maye is the kind of player that will get you fired,” Hodge said. “Especially if you draft him in the top five or top three, he’s going to get you fired.”
Hodge’s criticism stems from Maye’s consistency on the field. Maye threw for 4,321 yards, 38 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 66.2 percent of his passes in 2022, but his numbers dropped to 3,608 yards with 24 touchdowns, nine interceptions and a 63.6 percent completion rate last season.
While the departure of offensive coordinator Phil Longo and top target Tez Walker missing the first four games due to an eligibility issue didn’t help Maye, Hodge compared the Tar Heel to Malik Willis, who was a projected first-round pick before sliding to the Tennessee Titans in the third round in the 2022 draft.
“Willis might be the only guy that I can think of that is as erratic as Maye,” Hodge said. “I studied him for two years…I watched every one of his games last year. …His last game against [North Carolina State] was probably the most embarrassing display I’ve seen from a guy who is supposed to be an elite franchise quarterback. …He’s erratic. He’s everywhere.”
Maye threw for 254 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the 38-22 loss to the Wolfpack on Nov. 25 but he also threw two interceptions and completed just 57.9 percent of his passes. While some have compared him to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen due to his mobility and lack of accuracy coming out of Wyoming, Hodge doesn’t see it as a worthy comparison due to Allen’s arm strength.
“The one thing everybody said, which is true, from 50 [yards] in, he was not erratic,” Hodge said. “It’s when he went over [50 yards]. He could throw it 150 yards or 250 yards and that was absolutely true.”
Hodge also doesn’t see Maye as a dual threat despite his 1,209 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns in four years at North Carolina.
“People think his athleticism will translate but people want him to run and they will bust him up,” Hodge said. “He is not athletic enough. If he doesn’t get down and learn how to do that, he won’t last until Week 10.”
While Hodge offered a scathing review of Maye, his view on the rest of the quarterback class wasn’t much better. Hodge believes Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who the Vikings have been connected to is “just okay” and doesn’t believe there is an impact prospect such as Houston’s C.J. Stroud or Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow in this year’s draft.
“The problem with that is the expectations of these guys getting drafted in the top 10,” Hodge said. “What are you expecting? Are you expecting an average, okay, good quarterback? Or are you expecting guys like Joe Burrow and C.J. Stroud? … You’re not drafting these guys to be okay. You’re not looking for all kinds of issues and growing pains even though everybody should be allotted that time. But that’s not going to be the level of which they have got to live up to. They don’t have the skill sets for it.”
Hodge’s assessment is troubling for a Vikings team that feels desperate for a quarterback. Minnesota has been linked heavily to the quarterback class after acquiring the 23rd overall selection from the Houston Texans on Mar. 15 and their new quarterback coach Josh McCown coached Maye in high school.
Hodge also has merit after successfully calling that former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel would be a bust in the NFL when many had him projected as a first-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
With Kirk Cousins leaving in free agency for the Atlanta Falcons, the Vikings will likely look to bolster their quarterback situation behind Sam Darnold. But Hodge believes their best path may be to build the team by selecting some of the other talent in the draft.
“Never forget teams win championships,” Hodge said. “If you pick a quarterback and go reach for somebody that’s not high quality, you can suffer for years by doing that. Teams win championships.”
