The New England Patriots held their 10th open practice of training camp on Sunday, as they get ready for the 2023 season. Here are 10 players who stood out to us on the field, for various reasons…
WR Tyquan Thornton
New England Patriots wide receiver Tyquan Thornton signs autographs for fans at 2023 training camp in Foxboro. (Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)
Thornton himself stood out in both good and bad ways, but what caught our eyes the most is merely who Thornton worked with in passing game drills.
During one early session in Sunday’s practice behind Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, projected starting quarterback Mac Jones worked with four wide receivers: JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, and … Demario Douglas. Thornton, meanwhile, worked at the other end of the field with backups Bailey Zappe and Trace McSorely, and a receiver group that included Tre Nixon, Malik Cunningham, and rookie Kayshon Boutte.
Thornton and Douglas both mixed in reps with Jones and the starters during 11-on-11 drills, sometimes on the field at the same time. Thornton got one target from Jones in the corner of the end zone during 11-on-11, but cornerback Myles Bryant elevated to disrupt the throw. Douglas caught one short pass from Jones in the same session.
Tyquan Thornton of the New England Patriots celebrates a touchdown catch with Mac Jones against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium on Jan. 1, 2023. (Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
Thornton did make a nice catch from Zappe in 7-on-7, as he got a step on double-coverage and gathered a well-placed deep ball in the 30-40 yard range down the left sideline. But his apparent overall regression has been one of the most striking developments in training camp. Thornton wasn’t concerned about his lack of “production” when he spoke to reporters last Friday.
“Not many targets, but we’re not counting stats,” Thornton said. “That’s not what this camp is about. We’re trying to get better as a unit.”
Since then, it feels like Thornton has only continued to go backward. Or it’s just Douglas continuing a meteoric rise. Either way, the unit is leaning more toward Douglas at the moment. Thornton should still make the team either way, but he’s got a long way to go.
WR Demario Douglas
New England Patriots wide receiver Demario Douglas (60) makes a catch during 2023 training camp in Foxboro. (Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)
We’d be remiss if we detailed Thornton’s up-and-down day without highlighting the rise of Douglas, who has been a standout skill player throughout camp. The reps and groupings suggest that Douglas is No. 4 on the wide receiver depth chart, as of Sunday.
Douglas caught one pass from Jones in 7-on-7 and one in 11-on-11, both of the quick and short variety. But his speed is for real and he’s been elusive after the catch in drills, giving him a good chance to add an element of the offense they’ve lacked in the slot for years.
LB Matthew Judon
New England Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon sprints during 2023 training camp in Foxboro. (Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)
It’s no surprise that Judon returned to full participation on Sunday and the Patriots defense promptly had one of its best practices of camp. While it’s tough to judge “sacks” or “tackles” in non-padded drills with something less than full contact, Judon was clearly a problem up front for the right side of the Patriots offensive line.
Judon got through right tackle Conor McDermott to get in Jones’ face on one play in 11-on-11, which clearly would’ve been trouble for the quarterback in a real game. McDermott also appeared to hold Judon on one play, as his left arm got up a little too high as Judon rushed.
It’s not much of a knock on McDermott, because Judon can do that to a lot of players. A very nice return to full-bore for No. 9, newly minted with some fresh guaranteed money for 2023.
WR DeVante Parker
New England Patriots wide receiver DeVante Parker makes a catch during training camp in Foxboro. (Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)
It wasn’t the best day for the starting offense overall, but Parker gets a nod for Sunday because he helped the offense close strong. On their final rep of 11-on-11 in a 2-minute simulation, Jones went deep for Parker, who found space behind Jack Jones and Adrian Phillips in coverage and reeled in a catch estimated at about 40-45 yards. Nice moment for Parker, who looks like their most dependable guy for big strikes deep down the field right now.
CB Christian Gonzalez
New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (50) sprints during 2023 training camp in Foxboro. (Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)
Gonzalez made his first team drill interception of camp on Sunday. Jones tried to go long for rookie receiver Kayshon Boutte down the left sideline, but the trajectory of the ball was low enough for Gonzalez to make a leaping grab for the pick.
The pass looked a little off the mark, but still a dynamic play by the first-round rookie. He projects as a starting outside cornerback.
S Jabrill Peppers
Safety Jabrill Peppers of the New England Patriots during 2023 minicamp in Foxboro. (Matt Dolloff/98.5 The Sports Hub)
Peppers continues to rotate with the 1’s on defense, as he’s poised to play a bigger role among the safeties in 2023. He made one of the best defensive plays of the day during a red zone 11-on-11 drill, when he knocked the ball out of Hunter Henry’s late in the catch process. The play would’ve broken up a touchdown in a real game.
As good as the offense looked stringing solid practices together, it’s not the worst thing to see the defense respond. The secondary has looked motivated to make plays on the ball and it’s translating.
LB Ja’Whaun Bentley
New England Patriots linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley works against a resistance rope at 2023 minicamp in Foxboro. (Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)
Bentley broke through McDermott and right guard Kody Russey to get into the backfield on a handoff to Pierre Strong Jr. during 11-on-11. Give him a “tackle for loss.” Bentley was also in pass coverage against both tight ends (Henry) and running backs (Rhamondre Stevenson) and kept pace. If he can add even a little of that dimension to his game, that would be huge for him and the team.
LB Mack Wilson Sr.
New England Patriots linebacker Mack Wilson Jr. trains with a resistance rope during 2023 training camp in Foxboro. (Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)
Wilson has had a good camp overall, but unfortunately, he’s on the list for Sunday because of a substitution mistake he made during 11-on-11. For his error, the entire defense had to run a lap then get right back to work. Certainly a teachable moment for the whole unit to be on their P’s and Q’s when it comes to the general operation.
DB Ameer Speed
New England Patriots cornerback Ameer Speed (61) pulls a sled at 2023 minicamp in Foxboro. (Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)
Quick nod to the rookie sixth-round pick out of Michigan State. Speed was one of a small group of players working directly with Joe Judge, who has been working exclusively on coordinating the special teams units along with Cam Achord. Kick coverage appears to be Speed’s best hope of sneaking onto the 53-man roster, but if he can hone in on that, he should at least be able to stay in New England via the practice squad.
C James Ferentz
New England Patriots guard James Ferentz (65) greets center David Andrews (60) during 2023 training camp in Foxboro. (Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)
With starting center David Andrews absent from practice on Sunday, Ferentz took over with the starting offensive line. That’s a sign that the team still views Ferentz as the top backup center on the roster, over Russey and rookie fourth-round pick Jake Andrews.
