FOXBORO — Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye benefitted Thursday after a reset to training camp.
After struggling in two straight practices, the No. 3 overall pick bounced back with a more impressive showing after an off-day as he continues to compete for a starting job with current top passer Jacoby Brissett.
The Patriots were off Wednesday, and head coach Jerod Mayo threw the team a bone by allowing them to return to practice in shells and shorts on the hottest day of camp so far even though it could have been a padded practice by NFL rules. It was 90 degrees in Foxboro but felt like 101. The stands were sparse as Patriots fans weren’t down to brave the heat on a weekday afternoon.
Still, despite the lack of contact, it was a competitive session Thursday with the team working on 1-on-1 receiver drills, 7-on-7s, 11-on-11s and the league’s new kickoff.
The practice saw a young wide receiver beat a top cornerback in multiple 1-on-1s, plus a new look to the offense’s starting lineup and more.
Here are the Herald’s complete practice observations:
Absent: DT Christian Barmore (blood clots), OT Tyrone Wheatley
Returned: OLB Matthew Judon, C David Andrews
Non-participant: S Jabrill Peppers, S Marte Mapu, TE Jaheim Bell
Non-contact jersey: WR DeMario Douglas, CB Shaun Wade
Limited: Wade
PUP: WR Kendrick Bourne, LB Sione Takitaki, OL Cole Strange, C/G Jake Andrews
Notes: Judon and Andrews were both back at practice. Judon, who seeks a new contract, had been present for Monday’s practice but only to have extended conversations with Mayo, executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and director of player personnel Matt Groh. Then Judon was completely absent Tuesday before returning to the field Thursday after Wednesday’s day off. Mayo said before practice that the team had a good conversation with Judon and that he was expected to practice. That’s exactly what happened, and Judon was a full participant.
David Andrews returned from a personal issue and was a full participant early in practice. He sat out during the final stretch of 11-on-11s while Nick Leverett took his place at center with Atonio Mafi serving as a backup.
Wade, who’s been wearing a red non-contact jersey, left practice early with a staffer. Wheatley was a new absence.
Douglas continues to don a red non-contact jersey as he recovers from a hand injury. He participated in 11-on-11 drills for the first time in camp.
Kayshon Boutte hauls in touchdown off fingertips
Boutte, who’s been mostly quiet early in camp, hauled in two touchdown passes in the back of the end zone during team drills.
His first came on rookie QB Joe Milton III’s first pass of 7-on-7 drills working against cornerback Marcus Jones. His second was more impressive during an 11-on-11 drill with Bailey Zappe at quarterback. Zappe stepped up to throw the ball on the run and delivered a pass to Boutte in the back left corner of the end zone. He hauled it in with his fingertips for a touchdown.
Boutte, a 2023 sixth-round pick, is battling players like Tyquan Thornton, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Jalen Reagor for a roster spot. More plays like Thursday’s will only help him.
WR Tyquan Thornton
The 2022 second-round pick just keeps showing up in training camp. And most importantly (knock on wood), he’s staying healthy.
Thornton was 2-of-2 going up against stop cornerback Christian Gonzalez is 1-on-1 drills, catching passes from Jacoby Brissett and Milton. He was one of the most targeted pass-catchers in practice, hauling in 4-of-5 passing attempts, including a touchdown from Brissett in 7-on-7s against cornerback Alex Austin.
Note: The passing stats below were tallied during competitive 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 periods only. The stats in parentheses represent the quarterbacks’ camp-long performance.
Jacoby Brissett: 7-of-12, 3 sacks (64-of-93, 11 sacks)
Drake Maye: 7-of-10, 2 sacks (61-of-96, 2 INTs, 7 sacks)
Notes: Maye had a tough time during his first career padded practices on Monday and Tuesday but bounced back in a promising way on Thursday. He faces another test when the pads come back on, potentially as early as Friday at 11 a.m. ET.
Maye kicked off team drills going 3-of-3 in 11-on-11s, completing a screen to tight end Hunter Henry, a drag to rookie wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk and a slant that Douglas leapt to catch. Overall, he was 5-of-6 with a sack during full-team drills. One of his best throws came in 7-on-7s when he completed a touchdown on a corner route by tight end La’Michael Pettway in the back left corner of the end zone. He also completed another touchdown pass to wide receiver K.J. Osborn in the back of the end zone where only his pass-catcher could have hauled it in. The rookie checked into a pass at the line of scrimmage to start off his final 11-on-11 period and completed a pass in the flat to tight end Jacob Warren. The sequence had Brissett jazzed up.
Maye was 5-of-11 during 1-on-1 red-zone drills and had some troubles throwing to wide receivers, going just 1-of-7.
Brissett had some issues with sacks during team drills. He lacked some of the high-end plays he’s stacked over the last few practices but was mostly solid as the team’s starter.
Milton was 5-of-11 in 1-on-1s and 3-of-5 in 7-on-7s. His zip was really on display during 7-on-7 red-zone drills where velocity is sometimes just as important as accuracy. He threw touchdowns to Boutte, Polk and wide receiver Kawaan Baker.
Zappe was 11-of-16 in 1-on-1s and 1-of-4 with a sack in 11-on-11s.
S Kyle Dugger
Dugger led the team with two pass breakup in competitive drills. The starting safety, who’s been playing without his fellow starter Jabrill Peppers and top backup Marte Mapu, allowed just one catch on three targets with a pass breakup during 1-on-1 drills. He also broke up a pass intended for Osborn from Brissett in 11s.
TE Hunter Henry
The Patriots starting tight end was Mr. Dependable for his quarterbacks on Thursday as the team’s second-most targeted pass catcher. He caught 2-of-3 passes in 1-on-1s and three passes on three targets in team drills, including two in a row during red-zone 7-on-7s from Brissett on a stab route and out route.
WR K.J. Osborn
The most-targeted receiver on Thursday, Osborn hauled in just 2-of-7 targets. He was 1-of-4 in 1-on-1 drills, beating rookie Marcellas Dial but losing to Marco Wilson, Jonathan Jones and Azizi Hearn.
OT Calvin Anderson
In a practice mostly devoid of pre-snap offensive penalties, Anderson had to take a lap for a false start. He was the Patriots’ second-team right tackle, playing behind Chukwuma Okorafor. He was replaced by undrafted rookie Zuri Henry for the one snap.
Starting and second-string personnel during team periods: defensive linemen Davon Godchaux, Deatrich Wise, Keion White, Armon Watts, Daniel Ekuale, Trysten Hill and Jeremiah Pharms Jr.; linebackers Matt Judon, Joshua Uche, Jahlani Tavai, Ja’Whaun Bentley, Raekwon McMillan, Christian Elliss, Joe Giles-Harris, William Bradley-King, Anfernee Jennings and Oshane Ximines; defensive backs Kyle Dugger, Jabrill Peppers, Shaun Wade, Christian Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones, Marcus Jones, Alex Austin, Jaylinn Hawkins, Isaiah Bolden, Joshuah Bledsoe, Dell Pettus, Brenden Schooler and Marco Wilson.
