10 Players that stood out on day 10 of Patriots training camp
Patriots training camp continued on Monday with the 10th open practice, and their fifth in full pads. Here are 10 players that stood out on the practice field, for various reasons.
It’s preseason time at New England Patriots training camp. And with real-game preparation came the debut of live tackling.
As a result, it was an active day for the Patriots defense, which has responded well in recent practices after it felt like the offense was picking up steam. They stuffed the run repeatedly in team drills, generated some pressure against the quarterbacks, and made big plays with the ball in the air.
At the same time, the intensity and level of competitiveness in 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 periods seemed to be dialed back a bit, outside of the tackling. For much of the day, it felt like the defense was getting some scout team work, as if the purpose of the whole practice was to get them ready for game action. For that reason, it’s hard to judge whether the offense had a bad day, or the defense had a good one, either way you slice it
MORE: Patriots training camp notebook: Defense dominates on Day 10
But there are still players to highlight from Monday, and as you may expect, they’re mostly on the defense. Here are 10 players that stood out on the field during the 10th open practice of Patriots training camp, for both good and/or bad reasons…
WR Tyquan Thornton
Thornton stood out by his mere presence, as he returned after one day absent with a reportedly minor issue. But he also stood out because he made easily the most notable offensive play of the day for the Patriots, getting a step on Christian Gonzalez over the middle of the end zone for a touchdown reception from Jacoby Brissett in a 7-on-7 period.
It’s a good sign for Thornton that he was able to quickly get back on the practice field instead of missing extended time before the season even starts. It’s another good sign that he’s making plays in full pads, as the physicality ramps up.
Thornton seems to be in a roster battle with Jalen Reagor, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Kayshon Boutte for a roster spot at wide receiver, and he may very well be in the lead out of that group. He just needs to stay on the field.
WR Kayshon Boutte
Boutte gets a nod after Monday’s practice because he made a standout catch of his own. Joe Milton fired about 20 yards down the left sideline, and Boutte went up and high-pointed the ball with a nice hands catch over cornerback Mikey Victor. He’ll need to keep popping like that in order to beat out Thornton and others for a roster spot.
OT Calvin Anderson
With Chuks Okorafor out, Anderson continued to rep with the starters at right tackle on Monday. Rookie Caedan Wallace continues to rep with the 2’s. It’s been curious that Wallace is struggling to crack the top O-line rotation, after it felt like the tackle spots were solidifying with him and Okorafor. Anderson, meanwhile, should at least carve out a roster spot as a swing tackle, and could be serviceable on the right side.
DE Keion White
White typically stands out because of his disruption on the defensive line, but on Monday, he turned heads because he got a few reps on offense. As the Patriots ran goal line 11-on-11 plays for the first time in camp, they put a temporary green jersey on White to signify that he’s checking in as a fullback. He even got his hands on the ball on one play, but tipped it into the air for an eventual interception (more on that below).
It would be surprising if White plays on offense at all, but the guy’s a legit athlete, and he’s having a great camp on defense. The Patriots lost a lot of explosion and pass-rush power with Christian Barmore out, but White has a chance to make a real impact in his second season.
DE Oshane Ximines
We credited Ximines with a sack against Drake Maye in 11-on-11, as he found a hole in the interior on a stunt. He also chased down tight end Hunter Henry out wide to make a tackle. Ximines continues to make a variety of plays up front, and every day he feels closer to sewing up a roster spot as a rotational defensive lineman.
DT Davon Godchaux
The Patriots stuffed a lot of runs up the middle in 11-on-11 on Monday, and while that may be cause for concern for the running game, credit is due to Godchaux and the Pats’ defensive interior. Led by the newly re-signed Godchaux, the Patriots do have the personnel to stop the run between the tackles.
Honorable mentions go to Josiah Bronson, Daniel Ekuale, Jeremiah Pharms Jr., and Armon Watts for contributing to the run-stuffing. But Godchaux is the safest bet to (literally) be in the middle of the action for the Pats’ run defense.
LB Ja’Whaun Bentley
Bentley continues to quietly have a great camp, but Monday wasn’t so quiet, as he may have been the best player on the field. He came down with an interception on a ball tipped out of “fullback” Keion White’s hands in a goal line drill, and we also credited him with a run-stuff. Bentley feels primed for a big year in the Pats’ first season under new defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington.
S Dell Pettus
Pettus is starting to stack days. He’s made some noise since the pads went on, and on Monday, it felt like the coaching staff rewarded him by giving him a look at free safety with the starters in 11-on-11. The Patriots have talent, experience, and depth at safety, so Pettus still has a tough roster battle ahead of him as the preseason kicks off. But he should get plenty of playing time in August, with a chance to play himself onto the 53-man roster.
S A.J. Thomas
The Patriots just signed Thomas last Friday, and he already made his presence felt. Thomas intercepted Drake Maye during 11-on-11, after tight end Jacob Warren bobbled it into the air. He also delivered a hard hit to wide receiver JaQuae Jackson after a catch from Joe Milton III, which looked to shake the receiver up after the play. Thomas has wasted no time competing for a roster spot in a pretty open battle at the bottom of the secondary depth chart.
CB Mikey Victor
Victor gets a nod because he made arguably the most impressive pass breakup of the day. During 7-on-7, he went stride-for-stride with rookie wide receiver Javon Baker to the corner of the end zone, then went airborne to disrupt the throw by Bailey Zappe. After Gonzalez, cornerback is perhaps the most wide-open position battle on the team, so Victor has to be happy to make a play.
Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.
