Drake Maye throwing footballATLANTA, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 28: Drake Maye #10 of the North Carolina Tar Heels looks to pass against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the second quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium on October 28, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Former UNC star Drake Maye has reportedly made a controversial decision this week.

According to CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson and Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, the quarterback will not throw at the ongoing NFL Scouting Combine. While he will participate in physicals and interviews, he will join the likes of Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels in sitting out the throwing and testing phases.

Maye has attracted some criticism ahead of the upcoming NFL Draft, with former NFL quarterback Kurt Benkert and football analyst Merril Hoge explaining why they think he might not be that good in the pros.
“He has a lot of backyard football in his game but doesn’t have the athletic upside that I think it requires to live in that world as often as he does,” Benkert tweeted on Monday.

“He’s super raw with his footwork and pocket presence. His ball placement needs serious improvement. Defensive recognition struggles a bit (but I don’t know what he’s being coached to do so it can’t be all on him).”


As for Hoge, the former running back flatly stated he wouldn’t draft the QB during an appearance on ‘106.7 The Fan’.

“There are a bunch of things that bother me – he’s extremely inconsistent, his accuracy and processing are inconsistent, he misses a lot of hots, he’s not extremely athletic, and I find him more stiff,” Hoge was quoted as saying by Audacy’s Lou DiPietro. “He’s got a longer throwing motion which allows more hits in our league than he gets in college, and I’m just bothered by it.”

While QBs sometimes opt to sit out throwing segments at the Combine, one has to wonder whether Maye’s decision might work against him in this particular case.