The New England Patriots are sitting at the top of the AFC East standings after six games. Heading the AFC East after only six games under new Head Coach Mike Vrabel has to be considered a surprise. And without doubt, the key factor has been the meteoric rise of Drake Maye, who’s now Pro Football Focus’s third-ranked quarterback in the NFL after Week 6.

Even the most optimistic pre-season Patriots’ predictions are being exceeded. Vrabel’s brilliant 2025 offseason roster transformation has already propelled the Patriots to the top of the AFC East. That was his stated goal, but achieving it after just six solid samples of six games, including an away victory over the formidable Buffalo Bills, is simply startling.

Yet, while Vrabel is the architect in chief, the emerging superstardom of the 23-year-old prodigy, Maye, is the prime factor in the transformation of 2024’s NFL doormat to a team now threatening to challenge for the very top NFL honors. What a difference a year makes with a professional like Mike Vrabel at the helm, and a quarterback like Drake Maye setting the pace.

Drake Maye is already taking the top off the NFL in his second season with the Patriots

When Pro Football Focus tabs any one of your players as the third best in the NFL, you have a top performer on your hands. When they single out the most important player on the field for that distinction, it’s a horse of quite a different color. In the case of Drake Maye, that color is golden.

PFF makes no bones about how highly they rank Maye after his first six 2025 games, placing him as the third-best quarterback in the NFL heading into Week 7.

“Through the first six weeks, the New England Patriots are showing significant improvement with a 4-2 record, already tying their win total for 2024. A big part of their resurgence has been the play of Drake Maye, who is quickly proving himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL this year.”

The Patriots’ precocious second-year quarterback has dispelled any notion of a so-called “sophomore slump”. He’s now clearly rising to the very top of the NFL’s quarterback hierarchy. His position at No. 3 was out of 38 quarterbacks in PFF’s rankings.

Drake Maye is knocking on the door of All-Pro and MVP status

Drake Maye’s meteoric rise to the top of the NFL quarterback rankings should come as no real surprise. The signals were discernible in the then-22-year-old rookie’s play in 2024. With the NFL’s worst offensive line and a similarly deficient wide receiving corps, he still racked up a 66 percent completion percentage with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

It must be kept in focus that the rookie third-overall pick’s development was stunted by gross mismanagement by the Patriots hierarchy. Maye didn’t get any first-team snaps at all in the 2024 preseason, nor until about game four of the regular season. Regardless, he then started the last 12 games and played at a Pro Bowl level. Now under Vrabel, Maye has exploded onto the NFL scene.

After six games, Maye’s stats are nearing All-Pro level. He’s completed 73.3 percent of his passes for 1522 yards, 10 touchdowns, and only two interceptions. As his new offensive line coalesces and its two rookie starters gain valuable experience, expect a running game to emerge from the doldrums. His completion percentage will subsequently rise toward the NFL’s all-time single-season high.

This year, Drake Maye will challenge 2018’s 74.4 percent best-ever NFL single-season completion rate set by Drew Brees. Once Mike Vrabel has fully fitted out the team, perhaps by next season, he’ll shatter that record. Maye is a possible All-Pro this year and is even being considered a 2025 MVP candidate. The sky is the limit for Maye, and it was clear in 2024 if you read the tea leaves.