doesn't really stand a chance.The selected No. 3 overall in the . They took him to be the face of their franchise. But the plan is, for now, not to rush him into action. It's something the Patriots made clear to Maye before even drafting him."They asked me how I would feel not starting in front of Brock Mcginn Jersey a bunch of coaches," Maye told reporters. "I'll prepare and be ready to be the starter, but at the same time, you know that as a young guy coming in there, it's not given to you. You've got to earn it. My job is to go in there, earn the guys' respect, help whoever is the starter, if I'm not, be the best player they can and help this team win."The upside for Maye is tremendous. He is a prospect with size (6-foot-4, 230 pounds), arm velocity, mobility and athleticism that most of his NFL peers don't have. What do those elite pro QBs have that Maye doesn't? An understanding of offensive and defensive schemes and a mastery of situational offense.ADVERTISEMENT That's why an AFC executive told me before the draft that he believes Maye should spend an entire season on the bench before getting a start."We're not sitting here saying that Drake is our starting quarterback. I think he understands that. He understands the things that he has to get better at," new Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said after Round 1 of the draft. "You can talk about potential all you want to. Until you reach it, it really doesn't matter. We did know the man; we know the man is a hard worker, and he's going to do everything he can to be succe sful."While executive Eliot Wolf, Mayo and Maye have all preached patience in these early days, it's hard to imagine anyone holding Maye out of the starting rotation when his physical tools help him eclipse Bri sett on the depth chart.I understand why some think Bri sett might hold off Maye. I'm not buying it. The concept is rooted in Wolf's history.Along with spending four seasons under Bill Belichick and the Patriots, Wolf spent 15 years with the and two years with the . That stint in Green Bay was formative. Wolf witne sed the Packers drafting and stashing , the 24th overall pick in 2005. And after Wolf left Green Bay, the Packers did something similar with .Wolf could very well follow that pattern. "We are a draft and develop team," he said during a pre-draft pre s conference.Patriots thrive in first NFL Draft without Bill Belichick Of course, the problem goes back to Bri sett's value. He's not Brett Favre or Rodgers. Bri sett is right on the cusp as a journeyman spot starter and backup.He has done a nice job operating several offenses around the NFL. But at no point has he truly elevated one. He is a safe conductor, merely keeping the train running and on the tracks. He won't tune up the train to go full-speed ahead. There's no evidence of that at any point in his career not over multiple-game stretches.But the Patriots are insistent he can and will compete with Maye for the starting job. Bri sett has experience in offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt's offense. But it's an offense that makes plenty of sense for Maye, too.It's just not realistic to expect Bri sett to hold off someone like Maye. Even when he's not ready, he'll make plays that will make him a tantalizing and exciting option for the starting lineup. The me saging isn't wrong either. The Patriots are smart to promote competition on a team that went 4-13 last season. They are smart to test Maye with a little adversity out of the gate. It is totally the right thing to say and do. But New England didn't just take Maye at third overall because he's a project. They got QB in the seventh round of this year's draft because he is really a project so much so that some think he'll eventually play a different position in the NFL.Maye can play. He'll make mistakes, but in a season when the Patriots are aiming more for .500 than a playoff appearance, those mistakes might serve as teaching moments. The only hesitancy from New England should come around their offense's readine s to support a young quarterback.Some would say it's the worst offense in the NFL for the quarterback."I think they're wrong," Maye said. "The defense last year held a lot of teams to low points, and I'm looking forward to helping in any way offensively."I'll try to hold my tongue about how a defense only barely tangentially supports a quarterback.But I'll say that the Patriots did addre s the offensive line and the receiver positions albeit in a le s splashy way than many expected, given the Patriots entered the offseason with a ma sive amount of cash.On the offensive line, New England let walk in free agency and, instead, brought in , a career right tackle. The Patriots retained guard/tackle . And then New England drafted tackle and guard . It's an overhaul but maybe not a concrete upgrade.For receivers, the Patriots quarterback will have , , and rookies (second round) and (fourth round). That's probably the position where there's clearly some progre s, though the rookies are anything but a given to contribute. Tight end returned in free agency and joined the team. That spot looks solid.Running back will be Maye's best friend, both as a target out of the backfield and as a powerful runner who draws defenders into the box.It should be enough to give Maye a healthy space to grow. It may not be an elite offense, and the left tackle position is certainly uncertain. But for a year focused on development, it's the kind of offense that shouldn't damage Maye. He is, after all, a player who drew Wolf's attention for making 's offense functional in a year of turnover."Not to take anything away from anyone else in the program, but the game was on his shoulders for them," Wolf said. "They have some talented players, talented running backs and receivers, but he really was able to elevate them and make them into what they could be."Sounds like a familiar story.Sounds like what Maye will have to do in New England.Starting Week 1, no doubt.Prior to joining FOX Sports as the AFC East reporter, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily. Chris Terry Jersey