Drake Maye’s final NFL draft test: Tracking QB’s every move at Tar Heels pro day

It’s 1:47 p.m. on Thursday in the Koman Indoor Practice Facility at the University of North Carolina, and Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye is awaiting his turn for the final measurements of his NFL Draft journey.

The 6-foot-4, 227-pound quarterback — considered by many to be a potential top-three pick in next month’s draft — is lined up behind several of his college teammates as they stretch and have their various measurements called out to the collection of scouts, coaches and executives in attendance. Those evaluators are here to watch the program’s top prospects, including Maye and fellow Charlotte area natives, wide receiver Devontez Walker and linebacker Cedric Gray, take part in field drills during the Tar Heels’ annual pro day.

Maye, a Myers Park High alum, is behind long snapper Drew Little in the line to be weighed in. Denver Broncos assistant director of college scouting Nick Schiralli tells the crowd of evaluators that Maye won’t take part in any testing drills, but he will throw to receivers this afternoon.

Maye is measured at 1:52 p.m. He can relax for a bit as he won’t be called on for another hour or so to workout. Surrounded by representatives from most, if not all, of the NFL’s teams, Maye moves to the far sideline of the Steve Bell Family Field as his teammates get ready to test their speed in the 40-yard dash.

While Maye is watching his teammates, The Charlotte Observer is tracking his every move, as he looks to boost his draft stock in front of a notable collection of NFL decision-makers.

Being a leader

1:56 p.m.: Maye, who grew up in Huntersville, smiles as he puts on a pair of socks and shoes. His teammates are wrapping up their measurement period and are getting loose on the field, as they stretch and jog back and forth in the far end zone. In the opposite end zone, pundits for ACC Network and NFL Network, who are both covering the pro day live, are set up to provide commentary on the event.

Meanwhile, a list of who’s who files into the in-door facility.

The early attendees include New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo, Denver Broncos GM George Paton, Chicago Bears passing game coordinator Thomas Brown, and Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. The Bears, Patriots and Broncos are all in the market for a quarterback and have top-10 picks.

The Steelers, who just signed Russell Wilson and traded for Justin Fields, were also represented by Smith at Duke University’s pro day workout ahead of North Carolina’s event.

2:06 p.m.: North Carolina head coach Mack Brown addresses the prospects and NFL representatives in attendance. He then hands the microphone to Brian Simmons, the head coach’s senior advisor and pro liaison, as the NFL hopefuls get ready to run their 40-yard dashes.

Simmons announces that Maye will throw to receivers and running backs through menu of 60 scripted throws (spoiler alert: Maye will exceed that workload).

2:11 p.m.: Maye paces the sideline. His teammates, including running back British Brooks, defensive back Gio Biggers, linebacker Amari Gainer, and center Corey Gaynor, are getting warmed up.

None of those four players, along with the rest of the runners, were invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis in February. This is their biggest shot to impress NFL teams.

Walker and Gray, who are considered mid-round talents, have decided to rest on their combine numbers. Walker ran a blistering 4.36-second 40-yard dash and posted a vertical jump of 40.5 inches in Indianapolis. Gray ran a 4.64-second 40-yard dash and had 35.5-inch vertical jump. Walker had a broad jump of 11’2” and Gray posted a 10 feet in the same drill.

2:18 p.m.: The 40-yard dash drills are about to begin. The entrance to the in-door facility is open and it’s a bit chilly from the rainy weather that has soaked the grounds of The Triangle over the past 24 hours.

Maye breathes into hands and rubs them together, presumably, to stay warm. He’s wearing a long-sleeved shirt and sweatpants — a relaxed look for a quarterback who can stand to rest for a bit before his audition starts.

Maye might not be active for the 40-yard dash, but he certainly is present. The quarterback — who is consensus top-five prospect at his position — is in the thick of the group waiting to run in front of NFL decision-makers. He shares a word and a laugh with Gray as offensive lineman William Barnes lines up for his first run.

2:25 p.m.: Defensive back Don Chapman gets ready to run his 40-yard dash, as Maye shakes hands with Brooks, who just returned to the end zone after his first run.

Maye offers words of encouragement and affirmative nods of acknowledgment as his various teammates complete their drills. He is invested in his teammates and his leadership shows. He checks with the scouts timing the 10-yard splits and approaches Gaynor with feedback following his run.

The big names arrive

2:56 p.m.: The 40-yard dashes are complete, and Maye’s teammates are headed back to the far sideline to take part in the broad and vertical jumps. The droves of NFL decision-makers follow the other prospects as Maye begins to get loose for his throwing session.

Maye stretches and exercises his arm as pass rusher Myles Murphy posts an 8’11” broad jump. Former teammate, Beau Corrales, who transferred to Southern Methodist University in 2022 and then to Texas State University last season, wows the scouts with a 10’5” broad jump as Maye plays toss on the opposite side of the field.

3 p.m: Another group of big names enters the facility. The Washington Commanders’ top decision-makers have arrived.

The Commanders, who own the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft, have been heavily linked to Maye, who has been considered by some pundits to be just behind Southern California’s Caleb Williams — the Bears’ presumed No. 1 pick target — at the quarterback position. New GM Adam Peters, head coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury are ready to watch Maye throw.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Josh McCown, formerly of the Carolina Panthers, has also arrived. McCown used to coach Maye at Myers Park High when McCown’s son, Owen, also played at the school.

The Vikings have been heavily rumored to be in the draft mix at quarterback following Kirk Cousins’ departure to Atlanta in free agency. The Vikings own the No. 11 and No. 23 overall picks in the first-round following a pre-draft trade with the Houston Texans a few weeks ago. The buzz has around the trade was that the move gave the Vikings ample ammunition to move up the board for a quarterback

It’s showtime, folks ...

3:27 p.m.: It’s time to throw.

Maye — who threw for 8,018 passing yards and 63 touchdowns during his college career — huddles up with eight playmakers, including Brooks and Walker.

He then heaves eight off-platform “go” balls to his receivers, who each haul in their respective passes. The group transitions to the other side of the field and Maye, again, lofts eight consecutive off-platform heaves to his receivers and they all catch their targets.

Maye jogs back to the huddle after connecting on all 16 passes.

After the huddle breaks, Maye has back-to-back three-receiver sets. He connects with all six targets. But he eventually hurts his perfect run, as he tosses a ball a bit behind Walker on a slant route. The ball hits Walker in the hands but his momentum makes him reach back and he can’t haul in pass.

3:38 p.m.: After another huddle, Maye and Walker struggle to connect again, as the quarterback lofts a ball to his right that is a bit too high. Maye’s throws to the right sideline will be a bit of an issue today during passing drills.

Maye fires a rocket to former XFL wideout Sam Mobley and the ball speeds past his hands. Mobley, the head coach at Parkwood High, has been working out with Maye for years and the quarterback asked him to catch passes during the pro day.

Maye fires another shot over the middle and that ball is a bit too far in front of the receiver.

“I thought I threw well,” Maye said about the workout following drills. “I thought I was spinning it great — a few I wish I had back. Always, when you have 70 throws, you’re going to miss a few. That was the goal: to be perfect. I didn’t accomplish that but I thought I threw it well, I think the guys did a great job, and I just tried to show different things. Moving on the run, different drops, and just throwing it with accuracy.”

3:44 p.m.: Maye is going through a bit of a tough stretch. He tosses a ball too high for Walker on a comeback route. But the quarterback decides to run the play again and connects with Walker on a second try.

“It just shows how competitive he is,” Walker said. “Dude never wants to lose. You can see it in his eyes in the huddle when we’re out there in games and things like that. When we miss on a lot of stuff, we’re able to go to the sideline — he’s able to come up to me, as I’m able to come up to him — and just talk about it.”

Getting in a groove

3:47 p.m.: Maye has thrown five incompletions, but he is starting find his groove with downfield tosses. He connects with Walker down the seam on a deep spiral throw. He sends a dart to Corrales over the middle with force.

Maye later tosses a beautiful rainbow-arched ball to Walker that elicits cheers after its caught. He fires off a perfectly placed ball on a wheel route by Brooks. It’s a thing of beauty.

He then targets Walker with a 60-yard floater for a touchdown. Mobley then makes a phenomenal catch for a 60-yard touchdown with the ends of his finger tips. Walker and Maye later connect on another 60-yard strike that earns some cheers.

“I think I can throw it deep with the best of them, so I wanted to show that,” Maye said. “I think every deep ball was completed, so that was the goal. Some intermediate (throws) I wish I had back, but that happens. But coming out here and letting it rip deep was definitely an emphasis.”

4:01 p.m.: The scripts moves to red-zone work. Maye is on fire, lofting fades to the end zone — against air — to his targets.

He connects with every pass but one — an overthrow to the right of the end zone to Walker. The ball sailed high.

“He’s very competitive — like one of the most competitive dudes I’ve been around,” Walker said. “Don’t like messing up, he’s like a perfectionist. That’s what you want out of your quarterback.”

4:06 p.m.: Passing drills are done — Maye completed more than 60 passes to his receivers.

“Thought it was good overall,” an AFC evaluator said about Maye’s performance. “Missed a couple early but once he got into a groove, it was impressive.”

McCown seeks out Maye and greets him with a hug. Maye’s shirt is wet with sweat, but that doesn’t matter as McCown smiles as they catch up.

“Coach McCown has been awesome,” Maye said. “He’s always so positive. He never says anything negative, and I think that’s the best thing about him. He’ll coach you up though.”

Lights, cameras, and questions

4:12 p.m.: Maye changes his shirt before being whisked away to the ACC Network set.

Former Buffalo Bills quarterback EJ Manuel and former NFL scouting exec Louis Riddick are there to interview him. Maye is now on the national TV tour as he will have roughly 10 minutes with that crew before heading over to the NFL Network set to speak with reporter Mike Garafolo and former Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith.

4:32 p.m.: Maye is all smiles as he leaves the NFL Network set to speak with local and national media at a lectern to the side of the in-door field. Maye, who follows Walker, to the scrum of reporters, admits that he was a bit nervous coming into the workout.

But Maye is jovial and enthusiastic as he’s asked a litany of questions that range from inquires about his misfires on the day to his projected draft stock.

“I didn’t do anything at the combine, so I wanted to come out here and rip it around, and I feel like I did that,” Maye said. “Just trying to throw it — and I missed a few high — but at the end of day, I feel like I was throwing it good.”

As Maye awaits his draft future, the work he’s done over three seasons with the Tar Heels, his interviews with teams at the combine and his workout in Chapel Hill will essentially serve as his resume for his first NFL job.

While his pro day passing performance wasn’t perfect, the quarterback appears to be confident in the work he put in during his final test of the draft season.

Said Maye: “I’m just excited to see wherever I go and let God handle the rest.”