10 Players who stood out at Thursday’s Patriots practice
The New England Patriots held their second-to-last open practice of the summer on Thursday. Here are 10 players that stood out on the field.
FOXBORO — It was a long practice for the New England Patriots on Thursday, as they get ready for the preseason finale.
The Pats practiced without pads and ran team drills that weren’t 100% competitive at all times. The players are probably thankful for that, as they ran a grand total of 93 (!!!) plays in 11-on-11.
It was all scout-team work for both the offense and the defense, as they ran starters against backups for the vast majority of the reps on both sides of the ball. But there were still some notable developments to pull from the proceedings.
MORE: Patriots’ Alex Van Pelt reinforces his faith in QB Jacoby Brissett
Here are 10 players that stood out on the practice field Thursday afternoon, for various reasons…
QB Drake Maye
What stood out the most about Maye is that he saw a slight increase in reps with the full starting offense, including David Andrews snapping and starting-level wide receivers. He got six total reps with the No. 1 unit, including four dropbacks.
Maye was 13-of-17 overall in 11-on-11, and 3-of-4 throwing the ball behind the starting O-line. He completed passes to receivers DeMario Douglas and Ja’Lynn Polk (more on him below), and tight end Jaheim Bell. On his final rep with the 1’s, Maye’s short pass intended for tight end La’Michael Pettway appeared to be deflected at the line of scrimmage.
The rookie had a bad moment late in 11’s, during a 1-minute drill. He tried to force a short pass to a well-covered Bell, where rookie safety Dell Pettus tipped it into the air multiple times like a hot potato. Defensive tackle Trysten Hill came down with the big-boy interception. But an ill-advised decision by Maye.
It’s encouraging for the rookie to see increased reps with the projected starting offense. He did complete some impressive throws, most notably a well-placed ball over the shoulder of Polk on an out route about 20 yards down the field. But his mistakes and relative lack of experience with the main group has him still behind Jacoby Brissett for the starting job, as the Patriots barrel toward Week 1.
WR Ja’Lynn Polk
Active day for Polk, who caught 6-of-7 targets in team drills. His lone incompletion was in fact a drop, as a well-placed Maye attempt clanged off his hands about 15 yards down the sideline. But those mistakes have been few and far-between for the sure-handed rookie.
What’s more important for Polk is the big picture, where he’s ascending to a potential starting role at receiver. Polk, Douglas, K.J. Osborn, and Tyquan Thornton are emerging as the clear top-4 in the receiver rotation. Polk’s earned it, as he’s been one of the most consistently solid performers on the team throughout the summer.
OT Mike Onwenu
Notice that we’re listing Onwenu as a tackle. He spent Thursday’s practice repping as the starting right tackle, as the absence of Vederian Lowe caused a big shuffle along the No. 1offensive line. Chukwuma Okorafor shifted over the left tackle in Lowe’s place, while Onwenu kicked out to right tackle. In his place at right guard…
OG Layden Robinson
The Patriots are arguably showing more confidence lately in Robinson than in fellow rookie O-lineman Caedan Wallace. Lowe reportedly doesn’t have a serious injury, but at the moment, it appears that the Pats’ plan without him would be to elevate Robinson to a starting role at guard. The rookie has had a nice summer and looks like a potential hit as a fourth-round pick.
C Nick Leverett
Leverett returned to practice after a brief absence, and is back in the No. 2 center role behind David Andrews. He and Maye appeared to have a bad exchange on the final snap of 11-on-11 on Thursday. Other than that, the snapping issues have mostly subsided for the Patriots. Leverett has been solid when in there, and feels like a virtual lock to make the team as a backup center/guard.
DT Trysten Hill
Hill made the aforementioned interception, which made the whole defense erupt during a late 11-on-11 period. But it’s also notable in general that he subbed in as a pass-rusher with the starting defense, as he appears to be part of the team’s plans for third-down packages up front. Hill has flashed some playmaking ability in a variety of ways throughout camp, as the 2019 second-round pick and former Cowboy seems poised for new life in New England.
DT Jeremiah Pharms Jr.
Pharms generated one pressure by himself during 11-on-11 against rookie QB Joe Milton. Like Hill, he is also subbing in as an interior pass-rusher, and looks like one of the top candidates to take third-down snaps typically occupied by Christian Barmore. We’re not comparing the two players by any means, but Pharms has had his best camp as a Patriot and could be in line to play the best ball of his career in 2024.
LB Anfernee Jennings
We credited Jennings with one “sack” against Bailey Zappe during scout-team work for the starting defense in 11-on-11. What’s notable is that Jennings stayed on the field as an edge rusher, a sign that he’s going to be leaned on to take the spot previously occupied by the departed Matthew Judon. Jennings looks like he could be an every-down player for the Patriots defense in his fifth season.
S Dell Pettus
Pettus continues to make plays and build a strong case to make the 53-man roster, as a player closer to the “bubble” than “lock” category. He made the aforementioned pass breakup that led to Hill’s interception against Maye, and had one other pass breakup on a Brissett throw intended for Bell. If Pettus doesn’t make the team out of camp, he’s a prime candidate to make the practice squad.
CB Alex Austin
Austin made two pass breakups within a four-play span in 7-on-7 against Zappe. He tightly covered both Kayshon Boutte and Kawaan Baker, respectively, and disrupted the throws at the catch point. It remains unclear how the Patriots plan to deploy their cornerbacks after No. 1 Christian Gonzalez, but Austin would be our best guess to serve as a No. 2 or 3 option, depending on how they use Jonathan Jones.
Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.
