Second-year defender an early ‘surprise’ for Jerod Mayo

There hasn't been a lot of football played in Foxborough yet this year. The New England Patriots held their fourth OTA practice of the spring on Wednesday, marking just the fourth time that (most of) the roster has been on the field together.

So when head coach Jerod Mayo was asked prior to Wednesday's practice which players have surprised him, he acknowledged he didn't have much to go off of. At the same time, one player did get mentioned unprompted.

"That’s hard to say. I think the guys, no matter what group we’re talking about - and right now, I know you’ve heard this before, but there are no starters, just being able to mix and match different groups - that’s a hard one," Mayo explained. However, he then added "look, Keion White is doing a good job for us and I’d say also, Keion has kind of taken that step forward as far as being a leader. Not as much vocally, but you see him actually leading the groups and working well, so if you need a name, that is a good one."

White, the Patriots' second-round pick in 2023, showed some promising flashes as a rookie but was limited by injuries throughout the season. He ended up playing 16 games last year with four starts, recording 26 tackles and a sack (five quarterback hits) while playing 49 percent of the Patriots' defensive snaps.

White should have plenty of room to expand his role this year and in coming years in New England. The Patriots' new coaching staff has talked about running a more 'aggressive' style of defense, which should fit White's play-style.

Plus, the team's top edge rusher, Matthew Judon, is coming off an injury. Judon, as well as a number of other edge defenders like Josh Uche and Deatrich Wise are in the final year of their contracts. With a number of edge rushers not participating in these early OTAs, White has had a chance to get more reps in front of coaches as well.

In speaking about White on Wednesday, Mayo highlighted that the offseason from Year 1 in the NFL to Year 2 is often when players make their biggest jump. He acknowledged that it's an opportunity for White, who he sees improving both on and off the field.

"He’s always been a strong guy but I would say he is even stronger now and he is doing a good job," Mayo said. "He is here each and every day, and in the meeting rooms, he is actually kind of talking and leading those conversations, which I think is important. And we always talk about that Year 2 jump, that’s the biggest jump you’re going to have."

Defensive coordinator and former defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington echoed those comments. "Every guy who's going into that second year is trying to take that leap from their rookie year. He's done a great job," Covington said. "Came in and shape from the off season. He's done a good job of showing here every day."

"I talked to him about three things - showing up, being present and staying consistent. He's done all three on an everyday basis. He's been consistent for us. And long as he do that for us, he'll be fine," Covington continued. "He's not worried about the future. He's trying to stay present every day. He's showing up being present, staying consistent, and he's working hard which is what we want from our players. And so, I couldn't be prouder of the way he's doing things so far."

White was one of three defensive players the Patriots took in the top 100 in the NFL Draft last year. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez, a first-round pick, found success early before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in October. Third-round pick Marte Mapu will be looking to find a more regular role in 2024, after playing mainly as a backup linebacker and box safety in 2023.

Keep scrolling for more on Patriots OTAs...

On Wednesday at Gillette Stadium, the New England Patriots held their fourth OTA (organized team activity) practice of the spring. It was the second such practice open to the media, after the first day of spring ball last week.

Last week's practice had a 'first day of school' kind of feel, as a more introductory day. Prior to Thursday's practice head coach Jerod Mayo told reporters "we’re kind of getting into real football now" and the practice schedule reflected that.

It was still a non-padded, non-contact practice as all spring practices are. But the balance of practice was different. There were fewer individual and positional drills, and more sessions of 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 with the offense and defense on the field together.

That meant we got an extended look at the quarterbacks, but it wasn't the only thing that changed in that regard. We'll start there as we get into Wednesday's Patriots OTA notebook...

One of the big critiques from the practice the media saw last week was how limited the reps were overall. The offense mostly worked in a single unit, with rookie quarterback Drake Maye following veterans Jacoby Brissett and Bailey Zappe.

Prior to practice on Wednesday, Mayo downplayed that disparity in reps. "My message is, it’s not how many opportunities, it’s what you do with the opportunities that you get," he said. "Look, going back to the competition part of it, the better you do on a day-after-day basis, not just on the field but also in the classroom, the more reps you’ll get going forward." Mayo also mentioned opportunities for Maye in the class room, or via virtual reality setups the team has in the facility.  

That being said, Wednesday's practice saw much more split-field work (there are two full fields painted on the practice area behind Gillette Stadium). This allowed the offense to run two units at once. At times Maye was on one field alternating with Brissett, while at other times he was the lone quarterback working on the other field. 

In his extended reps Maye had a solid day. The most notable observation continues to be his footwork - which has already noticeably improved from his time at North Carolina. 

While much of the conversation right now surrounds Maye, let's not lose sight of Jacoby Brissett. Brissett, signed by the team as a free agent this offseason, still looks to be the favorite to start when the regular season begins. 

Through two practices, Brissett has put together a solid performance. Everything in his mechanics looks crisp and clean, and he's done a good job of delivering the ball in team drills. That's not to say he's suddenly an MVP candidate or anything, but simply his game has evolved since he was first in New England as a rookie almost a decade ago. 

Late in practice the team ran a period focusing on quarterbacks calling out cadences - the words QBs call out prior to the snap. In Alex Van Pelt's offense the cadence can be used as a tool to keep the defense off guard. Aaron Rodgers, who he coached in Green Bay from 2014 to 2017, is probably the best example of a quarterback who knows how to maximize the impact of his his cadence.

During last week's open practice, Sidy Sow, Nick Leverett, and Layden Robinson got the most work at guard in team drills. For this practice, Atonio Mafi and Michael Jordan - who was the first player on the field on Wednesday - were in the spotlight.

It's entirely too early to read into that as a shift in the depth chart. But it does seem the team is getting multiple players ready to compete for starting guard jobs this summer. Both of last year's primary starting guards won't be options to start the year with Mike Onwenu moving out to tackle and Cole Strange expected to miss the start of the year due to a knee injury.

There wasn't much room for the quarterbacks to throw the ball on Wednesday. Coverage was tight for most of the day. That doesn't mean the QBs couldn't complete passes.

There were instances of threading the needle into tight windows - Maye has one such particularly impressive throw to T.J. Luther in 7-on-7s, or other times when the wide receivers made the plays themselves. That included two highlight highpoint catches from rookie Javon Baker, and a deep diving catch on a fade route by Pop Douglas. All three of those throws were made by Brissett. Tyquan Thornton also made a play high-pointing a ball from Maye.

Still, the defense had its moments. Safety Jaylinn Hawkins got the first interception the media has seen in camp, picking of Bailey Zappe in the middle of the field. Isaiah Bolden also had a pass breakup showing impressive recovery on a pass to the outside. Marco Wilson and Alex Austin reported PBUs as well.

There was one brief team punting period early in practice. Here are the hangtimes from Bryce Baringer:

5.14 seconds
4.54
4.93
3.12
4.93
5.27
4.86

Keep in mind that during these drills coaching may ask for a certain kind of kick or specific direction. So, it's all to be taken with a grain of salt.

Field goals were also a focus during Wednesday's practice. When the offense and defense weren't using both fields, the specialists worked off to the side. Chad Ryland took all of those field goal attempts, although Joey Sly was present an with the group. Some of those reps included practicing running on to the field in late-game situations. 

Practice ended with Ryland taking five 'live' attempts all from about 40 yards out. He hit his first four, but missed his fifth wide to the right. 

There were 13 players not spotted on the field at Wednesday's practice. They are...

QB Joe Milton
WR Kendrick Bourne
G Cole Strange
C Jake Andrews
OL Zuri Henry
DT Christian Barmore
DT Davon Godchaux
DE Sam Roberts
LB Matthew Judon
LB Sione Takitaki
DB Jonathan Jones
LB Jahlani Tavai
LB Josh Uche

Some absences don't come as much of a surprise. Most of those linebackers didn't attend last week's session. Other players like Bourne and Strange are out due to injuries (Jonathan Jones was limited last week as well).

However, it was notable for players like Milton, Roberts, and Andrews to be out. All are bubble players, and don't seem like the kind of guys who can afford to not participate in these optional sessions. It's possible they are dealing with some sort of injury or illness. 

The Patriots will be back on the field tomorrow, and wrap up the second week of OTAs on Friday. Their next open practice will come on Tuesday, June 4.

Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.