Merril Hoge delivers final Drake Maye shots before NFL Draft

Retired player and current NFL analyst Merril Hoge wanted to make sure before the draft got underway on Thursday evening that everyone knows he isn't a big fan of North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye.

"He’s marginal at best," Hoge said about Maye during a Wednesday appearance on Boston sports radio station WEEI, per Gayle Troiani of NESN. "Inconsistency alone, the inconsistency in throwing the football and processing, that’s just some of the problems. There’s a whole litany of things you have to correct." 

Hoge previously insisted he wouldn't draft Maye at any point in the first round because he felt the signal-caller "is the kind of player that will get you fired." While ESPN's Robert Griffin III was among noteworthy members of the football community who clapped back at Hoge, an unnamed quarterbacks coach recently said he wouldn't spend a top-10 pick on Maye. 

On Wednesday, former NFL general manager Randy Mueller explained he "would be nervous about selecting [Maye] in the top five" because the North Carolina product is such a project. 

During the radio segment, Hoge essentially scoffed at those who have likened Maye to Buffalo Bills star Josh Allen. Hoge wasn't done there, as he also warned the New England Patriots about Maye during a chat with Bill Burt of The Eagle-Tribune.

"Jerod Mayo, in my opinion, will not be around long as Patriots coach if they pick Maye third overall," Hoge told Burt. "He’s not a first-round quarterback option, never mind top three or five picks. There’s 'A,' way too many things to fix with Maye, and 'B,' too many things we can not fix." 

Hoge then ripped Maye's slow footwork, long throwing motion, accuracy and decision-making. 

"You don’t draft a project with the third overall pick," Hoge added. "You don’t have that luxury. A year? Maybe. But there’s too much film on Drake Maye that says it will take much, much longer for him to deal with what he’s going to see in the NFL…great players at every position on defense. Pass rushes he’s never seen before." 

As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Maye as the betting favorite at -240 odds to be the draft's third pick. At that same time, most expected New England to stay at selection No. 3.