The New England Patriots hit the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium on Wednesday for a third straight practice. As opposed to the previous two session, this one saw the team scaled back on the intensity: the full pads were exchanged for shoulder pads and shorts.
You can recap the action here. And as always, here is out list of standout performers from today’s practice.
Standout of the day
ED K’Lavon Chaisson: The first seven days of training camp are in the books, and Chaisson has been one of the Patriots’ best players so far. On Wednesday, the free agency pickup once again showed why: starting in place of Harold Landry, who was given a rest day, he beat rookie Will Campbell for a pair of would-be sacks in 11-on-11s, both times using inside moves to get into the backfield. In addition, he also seemed to register another takedown on a stunt.
Based on his first few practices, Chaisson looks like he could become an early-impact player for the Patriots — one who might also have an impact on special teams. On Wednesday, he was heavily involved in the game’s third phase and was used on both kickoff return and kickoff coverage.
Other performances of note
QB Drake Maye: Coming off an up-and-down performance on Tuesday, Maye took a step forward on Wednesday. The second-year quarterback mostly worked in the short and intermediate parts of the field, but he was accurate and ended up completing 11 of 14 passes in competitive drills. One of his throws was a well-executed deep shot on a go route to rookie wide receiver Kyle Williams, while he also connected with Stefon Diggs a team-leading three times.
WR Efton Chism III: The undrafted free agents currently is stuck between two worlds. He is too good for the backup players asked to guard him, but he is seemingly not good enough yet to crack the top rotation at wide receiver. The result is some sharp route-running and wins in 1-on-1s and 2-on-2s, but limited production to show for it.
OT Will Campbell: Campbell had a strong start to the full-pads portion of training camp, showing promise on both Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday, however, was a regression for the fourth overall pick in the draft. Two fellow LSU products got the better of him in pass protection: K’Lavon Chaisson beat him twice in a span of four reps for would-be sacks in 11-on-11s and also once in a 1-on-1 drill; Bradyn Swinson also got past the 21-year-old in 1-on-1s.
G Jared Wilson: Based on the last two days, the left guard job is Wilson’s to lose. The third-round rookie again lined up with the top offensive line on Wednesday — giving New England an all-rookie left side — and continued to look good. In fact, at least for one day, he was the better of the two rookie starters up front.
OL Cole Strange: One day after losing his starting role as the Patriots’ left guard, former first-round draft pick Cole Strange did not even get the nod as the next center up: even with Garrett Bradbury absent, the team opted to go with Ben Brown over Strange. He did eventually play center, but was part of the second team. As such, he fired a high snap at one point and also was inconsistent in 1-on-1 blocking.
K Andres Borregales and K Parker Romo: New England’s kickers are both on a hot streak. Romo and Borregales both went 6-for-6 when they were called up on on Monday and Tuesday, respectively, and they went a perfect 4-for-4 each on Wednesday as well. The competition is heating up.
Other players worth mentioning include running back Lan Larison, who was quite busy and even ran with the starters at one point. Backup guard Tyrese Robinson won both of his 1-on-1s, while Austin Hooper fumbled the ball after catching a screen pass.
The Patriots will return to the practice fields on Thursday for what will be their fourth straight practice of the week and eighth overall this summer. This one, however, will be a walkthrough. Doors will open at 9:15 a.m. ET, with practice set to kick off at 10 sharp.
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