A.J. Brown's Praise For Patriots QB Drake Maye is Eye-Opening
The New England Patriots' wide receiver concerns were laid to rest earlier this month when they traded a fifth round pick in 2027 and a future first rounder in 2028 in exchange for the services of All-Pro wideout A.J. Brown. Now they've been able to see the immediate return on investment unfold on the practice field.
Despite having seen a decline in his output over the past two seasons as the Eagles' offense became more run-focused and saw broader struggles on that side of the ball, Brown remains a bona fide WR1 in the NFL. In New England, he's taken over that same role.
At mandatory minicamp, the connection between Brown and third-year quarterback Drake Maye has been on full display. The veteran has led the wideouts in each of their position drills, as well as being a major factor in the passing game. During the final practice of the week, Brown made a jumping, twisting grab over safety Craig Woodson for one of his touchdowns on the day.
And speaking to the media after mandatory minicamp, Brown gave his first thoughts on the 23-year-old signal caller after his first few practices with him.
A.J. Brown is very impressed with Drake Maye pic.twitter.com/xjasGPUJEQ
- Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) June 11, 2026
"The talent speaks for itself," Brown said. "He can make any throw. But I think what's more impressive to me is that he knows where he's throwing it. To be that young and to understand the defense and to understand every little check, the blitzes, all of those things so young and so fast is very impressive.
"I really admire that he knows what he's talking about, he demands everybody else too to know as well. And he's a true leader, a true leader of men. And its crazy to see at a young age he's a true leader of men."
It is the hope that with additional weapons in the passing game, Maye will not skip a beat heading into a pivotal third season, and can start the 2026 season where he left off last year. In 2025, Maye placed second in MVP voting behind Los Angeles Rams' quarterback Matthew Stafford, and brought the Patriots to their first Super Bowl since 2018.
Can A.J. Brown Lead Patriots Back To Supe
If you polled anyone in and around the NFL world, you would be hard-pressed to find many people who do not consider Brown to be an upgrade on former top wideout Stefon Diggs -- who the Patriots released back in March.
Brown's numbers in recent years more or less resemble what Diggs put up in 2025. Indeed, the former Bills pass catcher actually managed exactly 10 more receiving yards than the newly-minted Patriots wide receiver last season.
Nevertheless, conventional wisdom dictates that with a better pure thrower of the ball on his team, and in an offense where he will be the undisputed No.1 option, Brown could well manage to return to form of his back-to-back 1,400+ yard years in 2022 and 2023. With that kind of firepower in New England's pocket, Maye and Brown could take the offense to a whole new level.
"What's important is just building that time, having that time together, building those reps, thinking how you're thinking, playing, seeing different looks," Brown said. "And just how he's throwing the ball, and where I need to be. I'm just trying to be where he wants me to be."
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as A.J. Brown's Praise For Patriots QB Drake Maye is Eye-Opening.
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This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 4:00 AM.