FOXBORO — Patriots coaches have lengthy identified about Drake Maye’s athleticism and arm power. They realized about his capacity to suppose via the sport in the course of the pre-draft interval.
Now they’re getting a really feel for simply how shortly he’s capable of course of behind the road of scrimmage of their new offense.
It’s not at all times immaculate for Maye as he surveys defensive seems, however he confirmed he may get via reads and strike with decisiveness in last week’s preseason game with the Eagles. He did so once more in a protracted observe (over two hours) in full pads on Sunday.
The No. 3 general choose leads our Inventory Up column for Day 16 of Patriots camp…
Top off
Drake Maye, quarterback
The rookie didn’t get first-team reps on Sunday, however he was the extra decisive and correct participant in comparison with Jacoby Brissett.
In 7-on-7 work within the pink zone, Maye made on-time strikes to Tyquan Thornton and Javon Baker. He additionally discovered Ok.J. Osborn on a roll-out throw when he realized shortly his first couple of reads had been taken away. Oftentimes roll-outs in 7-on-7 are utterly damaged performs. However Maye bought via his reads decisively, turned the play right into a scramble drill and threw precisely on the transfer.
He additionally later his Ja’Lynn Polk and Jaheim Bell for touchdowns in an 11-on-11 interval that had been fast selections. He had one other fantastic thing about a throw to Osborn close to the sideline that allowed the veteran to make a leaping, twisting back-shoulder seize for a primary down.
Maye threw a close to choose to Joe Giles-Harris rolling out in an 11-on-11 rep, however he had one other non-completion that was probably the greatest throws of his day, discovering Baker deep down the correct sideline for a diving try that Baker could not reel in thanks partially to some tight protection from Alex Austin. It was an correct throw although that in some methods appeared like his downfield incompletion to Baker in opposition to the Eagles final week.
Phil Perry was again at Gillette Stadium for the Patriots’ second preseason sport and he’s breaking down Drake Maye’s efficiency vs. the Eagles, how he measured as much as Jacoby Brissett, and extra on the Subsequent Pats Podcast.
Jaheim Bell, tight finish
The rookie tight finish made essentially the most of his probabilities as a pass-catcher Sunday, reeling in three touchdowns from three completely different quarterbacks. Bell noticed loads of reps with Austin Hooper and Hunter Henry out. No. 3 tight finish Mitchell Wilcox was harm mid-practice, which led to a good thinner tight finish group.
Bell caught out-route scores from Maye and Jacoby Brissett, and he scored one other working throughout the formation on an choice play with Joe Milton on the controls. Bell isn’t an in-line enforcer within the run sport, however as an offensive weapon, he’s proven in practices that he will be arduous to cowl.
Sam Roberts, defensive sort out
At all times good to focus on the work of an unheralded participant after we can right here, and Roberts is deserving.
He helped drive an incompletion by driving Caedan Wallace backwards into Maye’s pocket. He knocked Wallace again once more later to assist cease a JaMycal Hasty run, and he picked up a “sack” when he beat middle Charles Turner. His energy was evident, too, when he bought one of the best of Atonio Mafi in a one-on-one rep.
Inventory down
Tight finish depth
Henry could possibly be out for a bit longer, and Hooper is now dealing an damage he suffered Saturday. That left the Patriots skinny sufficient. However then the group noticed Mitchell Wilcox go down harm on Sunday. Jaheim Bell and Jacob Warren noticed plenty of work thereafter.
Warren had some bother with a low go on the objective line from Brissett early within the observe, and it appeared just like the undrafted rookie wasn’t anticipating it to be thrown there (regardless of quarterbacks sometimes making low throws in that space to keep away from deflections and picks).
Javon Baker, broad receiver
Baker made a straightforward landing seize on a pleasant throw from Maye in a red-zone 7-on-7 interval, however he had a 50-50 bounce ball slip via his fingers in the identical interval. It additionally appeared like he may’ve caught a Maye deep shot in 11-on-11 however couldn’t maintain on as he dove.
He has the athleticism to be an choice on these forms of throws, however he hasn’t constantly hauled them in. Drops had been a difficulty for him at UCF they usually’ve popped up at instances for him this summer season.
Marcellas Dial, cornerback
It wasn’t a nasty observe for Dial, however he simply so occurred to be on the fallacious finish of a spotlight seize on the finish of observe.
On a Joe Milton deep ball, Kawaan Baker reached round Dial’s again and pinned the soccer to Dial’s helmet, controlling the ball via the bottom for a completion that had offensive gamers on the sidelines going loopy.
Dial was in protection for eight catches that went for 106 yards final week in the preseason exhibition with the Eagles.
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