The New England Patriots are fully invested in their new quarterback.

Filling Tom Brady’s shoes will be a heroic task for any quarterback in the league, especially for one who’s about to enter his first full season as a starter.

However, the Patriots don’t need Drake Maye to be the second coming of Tom Brady; they just need him to lead.

And according to former defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, that’s about to happen.

In a recent appearance on the “Patriots Talk Podcast,” the former DT predicted that Maye would soon take the reins of the locker room.

“It’s gonna happen… Drake’s saying to himself, ‘This only my second year in, I’m still young.’ But he have a head coach telling him, ‘No no no no, you are the future of this franchise. You are our face, so you have to [be a leader].’ I think he will learn that. I don’t think he’ll lack in that area, but it’s learning how to,” Wilfork said.

Vince Wilfork on #Patriots QB Drake Maye becoming a leader:

“It’s gonna happen… Drake’s saying to himself, ‘This only my second year in, I’m still young.’ But he have a head coach telling him, ‘No no no no, you are the future of this franchise.’

(🎥 Patriots Talk Podcast) pic.twitter.com/SiCpIzUzyO

https://twitter.com/LosTalksPats/status/1959325211771457856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1959325211771457856%7Ctwgr%5Ee1e54181d4fd72fb9c02dca02d63c51f07aae8ab%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecoldwire.com%2Fvince-wilfork-makes-big-prediction-about-drake-maye%2F

Maye has turned plenty of heads since he arrived in the league last season, and not only because of his evident physical tools.

He was ahead of schedule last season in terms of taking ownership of the offense, and everybody in the building rallied behind him, even when things weren’t going his way.

The Patriots have gone to great lengths to make sure he’s in a position to succeed in his second year in the league, and while there were some early reports about struggles in training camp, he’s also drawn plenty of praise for his relentless work ethic.

Quarterbacks are usually natural-born leaders, and Maye isn’t the exception to that rule.

So as young as he may be, and as much as Tom Brady’s shadow looms over Patriots quarterbacks, he will be expected to take the bull by the horns and be the face and voice of this franchise right out of the gate.