When the Giants brought in quarterback Drake Maye for a dry erase test at the NFL Combine, it appeared to be love at first sight.
The former University of North Carolina star has mastered the Giants’ offensive vernacular and made a big impression on Giants staff, including general manager Joe Sean and coach Brian Daboll, as shown in the second episode of “Hard Knocks.”
“Den Dolphin Right 72, Tundra, Float H-angle,” Daboll told May, who quickly repeated the code to the Giants’ head coach.
“Right, so what does Tundra stand for?” Dabor asked curiously, stroking his beard.
“Two under,” May replied.
Daboll explained more advanced terminology to the younger commander, who appeared to be speaking the same language at an advanced level.
May added during the conversation that this was a “no brainer.”
By comparison, Daboll, who was shown doing a whiteboard challenge with future No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels from LSU, didn’t seem as natural.
Daniels seemed less than confident in the rapid-fire jargon Daboll was spewing and understandably had to be corrected a few times.
Maye’s performance seemed to surprise the Giants’ front office, who seemed interested in trading up to draft him.
Maye ended up being the No. 3 overall pick by the New England Patriots, but the offseason edition of “Hard Knocks” added another moment that showed just how deep the Giants’ interest went.
At the NFL Combine, Sean said he wanted to “plant a seed” to let the Patriots know he was interested in moving up to No. 3.
“If you guys are going to do something at 3 o’clock, like move or whatever, you don’t have to tell me you have plans, but if you have anything in mind, give me a call,” Sean told Elliot Wolf, the Patriots’ vice president of player personnel.
“We’ve had some calls from a couple of teams and those conversations have taken place,” Wolff said, adding that no plans have been set in stone at this point.
Sean’s interest in moving up to the No. 3 overall pick was well-documented by The Washington Post’s Ryan Dunleavy, but ultimately New England saw what the Giants did: that he could be a star down the line.
After the draft, it was reported the Giants offered the No. 6 pick in 2024 plus a first-round pick in 2025, but that apparently wasn’t enough to entice the Patriots to part ways with Maye.
The Vikings, who had also expressed interest in Meyer, reportedly offered the 11th and 23rd picks, including the first pick in 2025.
All of this was rejected by Patriots officials.
