FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — When New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye was playing video games in high school, Stefon Diggs was one of his favorite targets.
Soon — the Patriots hope — Maye will be throwing passes to Diggs in real life.
“He was one of those guys growing up — when I was in high school, he was young in the league. I had him on my fantasy team and things like that, playing with him in Madden,” Maye said on Thursday in his first availability since the Patriots signed Diggs as a free agent.
“It’s going to be cool to throw to a receiver who’s made plays like he has,” Maye said. “It’s my job to give him a chance and go get it.”
After a rookie year in which the Patriots won just four games — just two of them with him at quarterback — Maye is looking ahead to his second season with an improved receiving group and offensive line.
The Patriots picked Kyle Williams from Washington State in the third round of the draft last week, a month after signing Diggs for three years and $63 million.
Maye’s leading receiver last year was tight end Hunter Henry, who had 66 catches for 674 yards and two touchdowns. Diggs is a four-time Pro Bowl selection who had six straight 1,000-yard seasons before tearing his right ACL last October.
Diggs has said he is ahead of schedule to return, and Maye is looking forward to it.
“He’s coming back, obviously, from injury. He’s doing great,” Maye said. “He’s been around. It’s going to be cool to throw to a receiver who’s made plays like he has. He’s made big plays in playoff games and played in a lot of different schemes, played with high-level quarterbacks.”
The Patriots also beefed up the backfield with Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson in the second round to go with Rhamondre Stevenson. But the biggest boost may be No. 4 overall pick Will Campbell to protect Maye’s blind side.
Campbell, who played 37 of his 38 games at LSU at left tackle, allowed just two sacks over the past two seasons.
Maye said he was “pumped” that the team picked Campbell – even more so when he heard the newest Patriot say on draft night, “I’m going to fight and die to protect him with everything I’ve got.”
“Man, it gets you going, gets your juices going. It makes you want to go out there and play football now,” Maye said. “We got a chance to meet him when he came in and flew in on Friday. Pumped to get things going, and obviously, seems like a football player. That’s what you want around here.”
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