Pats Pulpit
Who stood out during the Patriots’ practice on Thursday, for better or worse.
The New England Patriots held their second practice of training camp on Thursday. The 90- minute session again saw the team wear shorts and shells, which naturally limited physicality.
You can recap the action here. The following players, meanwhile, caught our eye for better or worse.
QB Drake Maye: Even though he did not attempt a single downfield throw on Thursday, the Patriots’ starting quarterback had a productive day. With the offense focusing on positive first down plays and drive starters, Maye regularly made the correct read and decision to take what the defense gave him. As a consequence, he opened with 14 straight completions before his final pass in competitive team drills was batted down at the line of scrimmage.
Maye did not just avoid negative plays (the lone exception being a fumbled snap with rookie Jared Wilson lining up at center), he also put his receivers in position to gain yards after the catch. He also reacted well to pressure, executed play-action calls, and successfully escaped the pocket at one point. All in all, a good day for New England’s QB1.
RB TreVeyon Henderson: Coming off a relatively quiet training camp debut, the Patriots’ second-round draft pick saw an uptick in opportunities on Thursday. He hauled in a pair of passes from Drake Maye — one in the flat, the other on a hitch route — and showcased his ability to transition from receiver to runner in an instant. His speed is legitimate, and he appears to be well on his way to become a regular member of the team’s three-player rotation at running back alongside Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson.
WR DeMario Douglas: Douglas had a productive day on Thursday, leading all Patriots pass catchers with four receptions in competitive team drills. Three of those came from Drake Maye, with another via backup QB Joshua Dobbs. That play was one for the highlight reels: Douglas went up and reached backwards to reel in the slightly off-target throw over cornerback Marcellas Dial Jr.
DT Jeremiah Pharms Jr.: With Christian Barmore limited in his return from a season-long battle with blood clots, the Patriots turned to Pharms Jr. to play a more extensive role on Thursday. That in itself was notable — he seemingly is ahead of other interior linemen on the depth chart — but the 28-year-old also stepped up to the challenge: it was Pharms Jr. who got his hands on Drake Maye’s lone incompletion to bat down a throw intended for wideout Kendrick Bourne.
K Parker Romo: The Patriots’ kicker competition appears to be rookie Andres Borregales’ to lose, but challenger Parker Romo is making sure not to go down without a fight either. The former practice squad member outperformed the youngster on Thursday, making all four of his field goal kicks in the 30-to-50 range compared to Borregales’ 3-for-4 outing.
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