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The No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, Chicago’s Caleb Williams, will face the No. 3 overall selection, New England’s Drake Maye, on Sunday in a clash of highly-touted rookie quarterbacks.
And it’s a matchup that Maye has been eagerly anticipating.
“Really, with Caleb, I’ve seen him since high school,” he told reporters. “We’d go to the same camps. We were at the Elite 11 (camp) with each other. We got some college visits together. So, the whole thing, going through the process again. We kept up with each other in college. We were friends, and I enjoyed watching him do his thing. Now I get a chance to compete. So, anytime you’re going against a rookie quarterback in the same class, or any quarterback in your class in general, it’s a little extra. I’m looking forward to going out there and getting a chance to play the Bears.”
Both players have shown promise as rookies. Williams has thrown for 1,665 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions in eight starts, completing 61.4 percent of his passes while leading the Bears to a 4-4 record. He’s also rushed for 221 yards.
Maye has thrown for 770 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions in four starts and five total appearances, completing 65.6 percent of his passes while leading the Pats to a 1-3 record in his starts. He’s also rushed for 209 yards and a touchdown.
The stats don’t jump off the page—and neither has had the team success of No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels—but both have shown the ability to make tough throws and extend plays with their legs while keeping their eyes downfield. Both have gone through some growing pains as well, as is expected for rookie quarterbacks, but the Bears and Patriots have to be pleased with their first-round decisions to this point.
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