Count Dante Scarnecchia among those who want to see the Patriots hand the keys of their offense to Drake Maye this season.

Speaking on the “Patriots Talk Podcast” with NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran, the longtime offensive-line coach and Patriots Hall of Famer stressed that the team made the right call by starting veteran Jacoby Brissett out of the gate. 

But after giving Maye his first taste of NFL reps in the closing minutes of Thursday’s loss to the Jets, Scarnecchia believes that New England has to follow through and figure just what they have in the 21-year-old rookie. 

“I think it’s the appropriate approach. I also think at some point in the season, Drake Maye is going to be out there. I just do,” Scarnecchia told Curran. “Because you’re going to want to go through this year and say, ‘Yep, we got the guy we want,’ and then take all your resources and throw them into making a lot of other things better.

“How are you going to know that? You’re going to have to find out at some point. And I don’t know if there’s a plan for this, obviously, because I don’t go over there, but I would suspect that at some point (Maye will) be out there. … I think everyone will get their wishes and those that want Drake out there — ultimately, I think it’ll happen.”

Maye’s arm strength and athleticism makes him an appealing option to turn to, especially for a New England offense severely lacking in big-play capabilities. The team’s top offensive play on Thursday at MetLife Stadium was a 34-yard defensive pass interference call drawn by Tyquan Thornton. 

But the top impediment halting Maye’s ascension as QB1 might be the supporting cast around him — or lack thereof. 

New England’s offensive line was porous against the Jets, surrendering seven total sacks and 15 QB hits. Maye only logged one drive in garbage time in East Rutherford, but was still sacked twice. 

“I just hope that when he gets out there, it doesn’t look like recess,” Scarnecchia said. “You know what recess looks like on the playground? Everybody go deep. I just hope it looks like a guy that gets out there, gets them in the huddle, calls the plays (and) gets them to the line.

“The hardest 10 seconds or less in football is the quarterback standing on the line and looking at what he’s supposed to be looking at. ‘OK, I think it’s going to be this,’ and then the ball gets snapped. Now he’s got to validate it. It’s that, or ‘Oh my God, it’s not that.’ It’s fast.

“That’s why (playing quarterback) is so hard. It’s not easy — it’s the hardest thing to do in all of sports. … Like, Tom (Brady) didn’t have the answers to everything in his first year.”

Expectations aren’t especially high in Foxborough this fall, not with this flawed roster currently in place. 

But with the hopes of a fruitful rebuild likely falling on the shoulders of Maye, the Patriots will need to get some clarity on just how ready the No. 3 pick is at some point. 

“When is a guy’s time? I don’t know. I hope when it comes, he’s ready to play as he possibly can be, and we all see the things that gave everyone the hope that we all had when they drafted him,” Scarnecchia said of Maye.