The Green Bay Packers have found their franchise quarterback in Jordan Love, and one team in the 2024 NFL draft might find that Drake Maye is its long-term answer at the position.

Love, a first-round pick out of Utah State in 2020, and Maye share a similar pre-draft process, according to an April 16 tweet by ESPN’s Jordan Reid, who did not elaborate but said during an appearance on “Get Up!” that day that Maye has “a Justin Herbert, Josh Allen type of ceiling.”

Maye has seen his stock fluctuate since late December 2023, peaking at No. 1 and dropping to No. 3 before settling at No. 2 since March 12, according to NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus big board.

Reid called Maye his No. 4 overall pick, saying he was the second best quarterback in the draft, USC’s Caleb Williams. And dating back to early March, ESPN’s Mel Kiper suggested that Maye could even fall behind Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, who is No. 7 on the consensus big board.

Kiper’s most recent Big Board, published April 11, has Maye ranked sixth.

Jordan Love’s Path to Stardom

Things may seem great for Love now, but it wasn’t always that way.

Love was one of the more fascinating prospects in the 2020 NFL draft. His only FBS offer was to Utah State coming out of high school despite being a 3-star recruit. He developed into a star for the Aggies, especially in 2018. He finished that year throwing for a school record 3,567 yards, 32 touchdowns, and just six interceptions.

However, a dip in production in Love’s final college season called his pro prospects into question. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein even noted that in his evaluation while comparing Love to Blake Bortles.

“Challenging evaluation for quarterback-needy teams balancing traits and potential against disappointing 2019 tape,” Zierlein wrote. “His size, mobility and arm talent combined with his 2018 flashes could be a winning hand that leads a team into the future or a siren’s song of erratic play and unfulfilled potential.”

The Packers banked on Love’s traits, trading up for him in the 2020 NFL Draft. The move may not have set well with Aaron Rodgers at the time, but it gave Love time to sit back and learn from a future Hall of Fame quarterback.

Sitting and waiting panned out for Love. In his first season as a starter, Love finished second in the NFL with 32 passing touchdowns, then posted a 108.6 passer rating in two playoff games.

The move has allowed the Packers to start building a future around Love instead of taking swings on quarterbacks in multiple drafts. Now, Packers fans have their sights set on a Super Bowl run in 2024.

Drake Maye May Be Forced Into Starting

Not every quarterback gets to sit and learn behind a superstar like Love did. In fact, Maye might be forced into being a Week 1 starter.

It’s unclear who will draft Maye at the moment. However, the Washington Commanders or New England Patriots both have a big need at quarterback. If either team drafts Maye, they may not have the luxury of waiting to let him develop.

That’s a concern given Maye’s skill set. For as talented and athletic as he is, Maye will need time to adjust to reading NFL defenses. His mechanics and accuracy also need some refinement, which can take time.

Maye would benefit from a year or two to develop behind an established veteran. Impatient owners, front offices and coaching staffs make it hard for top-tier prospects like him to sit and develop.