By Charlie Wilson
Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels and UNC star Drake Maye have reportedly met the same 10 teams at the Scouting Combine this week ahead of the NFL Draft.
Teams who have picks in the first half of the first round (top 16 picks) have requested interviews with both quarterbacks as they continue to make their evaluation ahead of April's draft.
The Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons are the teams to have met both Daniels and Maye - with the Commanders and Patriots having the second and third overall picks.
The Bears are highly expected to select USC's Caleb Williams leaving the Commanders with the second pick to have their choice of Maye and Daniels. Both teams are likely to select quarterbacks, as they look to enter a new era under new head coaches - while having a big need at the position.
Throughout the last year, Maye had perennially been seen as the second-best prospect in the draft class. However, Daniels' emergence in the 2023 season saw him claim the Heisman Trophy as college football's best player - putting together a sensational season with 50 touchdowns to just four interceptions.
Meanwhile, Maye had another incredible season in 2022 with UNC, leading the team to an 8-4 record and cementing his place as one of the top prospects in the draft along with the aforementioned Williams
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Daniels' abilities as a dual-threat quarterback has seen him compared to MVP Lamar Jackson, while Maye has drawn comparisons to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen due to his stature and arm talent.
Despite his seemingly exciting potential, recent reports have suggested that Maye could fall down the draft board as Will Levis had last year. NFL draft analyst Merril Hoge also warned teams away from drafting Maye this past week, suggesting that 'he would not touch him in the first round'.
The Patriots are likely to select whoever falls to them with the third overall pick, with the franchise said to be fans of both Maye and Daniels. However, both teams may very well receive significant trade interest for their pick with eight other teams meeting with both players this week.