Drake Maye almost perfect, pass rush heats up

FOXBORO — Statistically, Drake Maye has been near-perfect through two practices.

He’s completed 22 of 24 passes in team drills, all 11-on-11 periods. His only incompletion Thursday got tipped at the line of scrimmage. So has Maye also aced the eye test?

Well, mostly.

Thursday’s practice was an exercise in offensive discipline, a heavy passing day designed to work on simple first-down calls. Half of Maye’s completions were screens, swing passes or checkdowns; low-hanging fruit for any quarterback, but less tempting to those with Maye’s talent who can and want to strike for big, often extended plays. While Maye hit his targets and protected the ball, showing discipline was more impressive than any collection of throws he made.

Maye did not attempt a single pass deeper than 10 yards downfield.

Perhaps offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has designed his early-down offense this way to protect against an expected leaky offensive line (and there were issues Thursday. See: five sacks). Or perhaps these types of quick-hitting concepts best suit the Patriots’ offensive skill players around Maye, a group headlined by Stefon Diggs, DeMario Douglas and two running backs with soft hands who can do damage in space.

Which is it? Only time and more practice will tell.

Elsewhere at practice, Harold Landry continued to apply pressure, one star defender was limited, another starter was missing, the kicking competition spiced up and the rookies are playing together around Maye.

Here are the Herald’s complete practice observations:

Attendance

Absent: CB Carlton Davis, DT Jahvaree Ritzie

Non-participant: WR Ja’Lynn Polk

Limited: DL Christian Barmore

PUP: TE Austin Hooper, OT Vederian Lowe, WR Mack Hollins

NFI: S Josh Minkins

Notes: Barmore did not participate in team drills, part of the team’s plan to help him remain available after he recovered from the blood clots that sidelined him twice last season. Davis’ absence came as a surprise, considering he was a full practice participant upon coming off the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list Wednesday. Polk is dealing with a soft tissue injury, per the Herald’s Doug Kyed. All other non-participants have missed both practices so far.

Play of the Day

DeMario Douglas extends

Early in the opening team period, Joshua Dobbs floated a pass high and behind the shortest receiver on the Patriots’ roster. That receiver climbed the ladder anyway and came down with the ball.

.@popshotta3 getting 🆙 pic.twitter.com/m47XQJTAZu

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) July 24, 2025

Throwing on his brakes in the left flat, DeMario Douglas stopped to leap over the outstretched arms of young corner Marcellas Dial and made a stellar, two-handed grab. He touched both feet inbounds and fell onto the sideline. Douglas popped up immediately, rising with the crowd at his back and signaled for a first down.

Player of the Day

OLB Harold Landry

The ex-Titan tallied a sack rushing off each side of the offensive line, giving him two on the day. Unquestionably, he’s been the most productive pass-rusher in camp.

Whether Landry’s hot start continues is, of course, unknowable. But he’s shown shades of the burst and speed in practice that made him a Pro Bowler just four years ago. The best version of the Patriots’ defense starts with a potent pass rush, and so far, Landry is delivering.

QB Corner

Note: The passing stats below were tallied during competitive 11-on-11 periods only. The stats in parentheses represent the quarterbacks’ camp-long performance.

Drake Maye: 14-of-15 (22-of-24, 8 sacks)

Joshua Dobbs: 9-of-12 (11-of-18, INT, sack)

Notes: Maye completed his first 14 passes, misfiring only on his last attempt that got batted at the line of scrimmage. But that wasn’t the only snafu Thursday.

Maye fumbled a snap at the end of his first batch of reps in team drills. First, he completed a pass left to Kayshon Boutte on a stop route, then found Stefon Diggs for a short completion near each sideline and DeMario Douglas on a bubble screen. The fumble came with rookie Jared Wilson at center, who delivered a sound snap and continued to work with Maye later in practice.

In the next team drill, Maye hit backup tight end Jack Westover over the short middle, Rhamondre Stevenson on a traditional running back screen, hurried to the line after a long gain and ripped a swing pass to Stevenson. After a quick dart to Douglas, Maye went back to the swing pass, this time for Antonio Gibson and then again for rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson.

Over the final 11-on-11 period, Maye scrambled to escape interior pressure, completed a checkdown to Stevenson, underneath throw to Douglas, another checkdown to Gibson and Henderson in the left flat on a hitch route. Dobbs, meanwhile, was more aggressive downfield, but didn’t connect on a pass longer than 15 yards.

Studs

WR DeMario Douglas

In addition to his highlight grab, Douglas pocketed three other catches during team drills, giving him a team-high four on the day.

QB Drake Maye

Context is more than warranted, given the type of practice script he was executing, but Maye delivered an accurate ball over and over again, while avoiding turnovers. That’s a solid to good day for any quarterback.

Duds

RT Morgan Moses

The 34-year-old projected starter gave up a sack to Landry early in team drills, the second straight practice he’s struggled with that matchup. There is no reason for long-term concern here, but the Patriots are counting on Moses to be a pillar of their new offensive line.

WR Jeremiah Webb

Tough day for the undrafted rookie, who had a diving catch Wednesday and had a drop Thursday. Webb also failed to secure his other target, an accurate go ball down the sideline that fell incomplete.

Offensive notes

Top targets in team drills: WR DeMario Douglas 4/4, RB Rhamondre Stevenson 3/3, RB TreVeyon Henderson 3/3

Drops: WR Kyle Williams, WR Jeremiah Webb

Top offensive line: LT Will Campbell, LG Cole Strange, C Garrett Bradbury, RG Mike Onwenu, RT Morgan Moses

Running backs

• Busy day for the backs. All were active in the passing game, though none broke free for big runs on the few hand-offs called in team drills.
• Rhamondre Stevenson caught three balls on different concepts: a designed screen, swing pass and checkdown. Stevenson told reporters after practice he’s lost weight compared to previous seasons, which should help him in space and after the catch.
• After Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson secured all three passes he saw, including two from Maye. He took the last few reps next to Maye in team periods, following Stevenson and sometimes Antonio Gibson (two catches).
• Undrafted free agent Lan Larison posted his first catch of camp, a checkdown from fellow rookie Ben Wooldridge.

Wide receivers

• Through two days, it’s Stefon Diggs, DeMario Douglas and then everybody else. Diggs and Douglas are the only players to record multiple catches on both days of camp.
• Diggs hauled in two of Maye’s first three targets on out and return routes, another sign of the quarterback’s desire to build chemistry with his new No. 1 receiver. Three of Douglas’ four targets came courtesy of Maye.
• Following a nice camp debut, rookie Kyle Williams dropped the only pass he saw. Maye didn’t target him once.
• Kayshon Boutte and Kendrick Bourne again finished with one catch apiece in team drills, though Bourne did not connect with Maye. Dobbs hit him on a slant late.
• Behind that top five, undrafted rookie and emerging fan darling Efton Chism III hauled in an intermediate pass at the end of a deep curl route. He primarily ran with the second-team offense.
• Otherwise, the Patriots are waiting on Ja’Lynn Polk to recover from his soft tissue injury, and fellow 2024 drat pick Javon Baker is 1-of-5 on targets. He couldn’t catch either deep ball he saw Thursday, both from Dobbs.

Patriots’ offensive line picture becoming clearer in training camp

Tight ends

• On a day that featured dozens of quick, perimeter passes, veteran tight end Hunter Henry went catch-less working primarily over the middle.
• Injury replacement Jack Westover, playing in place of Austin Hooper, caught one short pass from Maye. Westover took snaps with the first and second-team offenses.
• Among the players fighting for the No. 3 job, undrafted rookie Gee Scott has a small head start as a receiver. He made a contested catch over the middle Thursday and grabbed another pass Wednesday.
• Former seventh-round pick Jaheim Bell earned his first target and catch of camp in the final period, stashing a short Dobbs pass between the hashes.

Offensive line

• Rookie left tackle Will Campbell and right guard Mike Onwenu were the only mainstays on the starting offensive line. All other positions rotated.
• Right tackle Morgan Moses, who hasn’t impressed through two days of non-padded, pass-heavy practices, appears to be on a snap restriction at age 34. The other two positions featured third-round rookie Jared Wilson forcing competition.
• Wilson replaced Cole Strange at left guard two snaps into the first team period, then moved to center and replaced Garrett Bradbury for the final reps.
• While four of five sacks were tallied off the edge (Campbell and Moses each allowed one), interior pressure was the O-line’s most consistent problem, and prevented Maye from stepping up into the pocket early on.
• A guess at the second-string offensive line? Seventh-round rookie left tackle Marcus Bryant, left guard Caedan Wallace, center Jared Wilson, right guard Sidy Sow and right tackle Demontrey Jacobs.
• Wallace’s position change is the most interesting so far in camp. A career tackle in college, Wallace played sparingly on both sides last year due to injury and appeared ticketed for a job as the Patriots’ new swing tackle. So far, he’s seen several guard snaps.
• So far, no good for right guard and former fourth-round pick Layden Robinson, a favorite of the last regime. He false-started Thursday and has been stuck on third string.

Defensive notes

Top personnel during team periods: defensive linemen Milton Williams, Keion White, Jeremiah Pharms Jr., Khyris Tonga, Joshua Farmer, Elijah Ponder and Jaquelin Roys; linebackers Robert Spillane, Christian Elliss, Jahlani Tavai, Jack Gibbens, Harold Landry, K’Lavon Chaisson and Bradyn Swinson; defensive backs Christian Gonzalez, Alex Austin, Marcus Jones, Marcellas Dial Jr., Kyle Dugger, Jabrill Peppers, Jaylinn Hawkins, Craig Woodson and Marcus Epps.

Interceptions: N/A

Pass breakups: DL Jeremiah Pharms Jr.

Would-be sacks: OLB Harold Landry 2, OLB Bradyn Swinson, LB Marte Mapu, Team

Defensive linemen

• Without Barmore, the Patriots started Khyris Tonga, a journeyman currently slated to be their third defensive tackle, next to Milton Williams.
• Despite the drop-off in raw pass-rushing talent, Williams, Tonga and Co. applied regular pressure on Maye, especially the high-priced Williams, who has described his defensive line as a bellwether for the entire defense. He recorded multiple hurries in team drills.
• Around the defensive tackles, fifth-round rookie Bradyn Swinson and free-agent addition K’Lavon Chaisson both received reps on the edge with the top defense. Swinson tallied one sack rushing third-string quarterback Ben Wooldridge.
• Ideally, one or both of Swinson and Chaisson would emerge as viable pass-rushing specialists for the season ahead. If not, the team is relying heavily on Harold Landry and Keion White to remain healthy and productive.
• It bears repeating once more: Landry looks like a rejuvenated player.

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Linebackers

• Robert Spillane remains the captain of this defense. Fellow inside linebacker Christian Ellis got the first crack at starting next to him, then Jahlani Tavai.
• Tavai does not appear at all limited coming off a scary calf injury in minicamp. It’s unclear if the new coaching staff intends to flex him onto the edge occasionally, as past regimes did.
• Backup inside linebacker Jack Gibbens failed to rip the ball away from undrafted rookie tight end Gee Scott on a throw over the middle. No signs yet of Gibbens pushing Tavai or Elliss for a starting job.
• Third-year linebacker/safety Marte Mapu nabbed a late would-be sack blitzing off the left side. Mapu has a cleaner position fit now in this defense, but a long climb to the 53-man roster.

Defensive backs

• No Carlton Davis opened the door for third-year corner Alex Austin and second-year man Marcellas Dial Jr. to play with the top defense opposite Christian Gonzalez.
• Austin had good coverage on a deep incompletion intended for Javon Baker late in practice running with the second-team unit.
• Dial’s most notable play was an allowed catch to DeMario Douglas. He’s also taken some reps in the slot, which should boost his odds of making the team.
• The only catch Gonzalez allowed in single coverage during 11-on-11 work was to Kayshon Bouute on a hitch route.
• Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers remain firmly atop the safety depth chart, again evidenced by their starting team drills and working separately with Gonzalez on ball skills while the other defensive backs rep on special teams.
• Jaylinn Hawkins was the first safety off the bench, though he remains in a crowded group of backups with rookie Craig Woodson and free-agent addition Marcus Epps.