The New England Patriots held their third practice of 2023 training camp on Friday in Foxboro. Here are eight players who stood out to us on the field, for one reason or another…
TE Hunter Henry
New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry makes a catch while running a drill at 2023 minicamp in Foxboro. (Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)
Henry has been perhaps the Patriots’ most consistent pass-catcher in team drills through the first three days of camp. On Friday, he caught 2-of-3 targets from Mac Jones in 11-on-11 and another in 7-on-7.
The 7-on-7 catch, in particular, was the moment of the day for the offense. As he saw Henry down the seam to the back of the end zone with safety Adrian Phillips in front of him, Jones lofted the ball over Phillips and into Henry’s hands as the tight end jumped and fell backward while reeling the ball in. The play drew the biggest cheers of the day from the packed crowd in attendance.
Hunter Henry on the first day of 2023 New England Patriots training camp in Foxboro, Mass. (Jim Louth/98.5 The Sports Hub)
The Jones-to-Henry connection has become a regular occurrence in those competitive drills to start training camp, certainly in part because they’ve been exclusively in the red zone. But if Henry can become a go-to guy for Jones in that area, where the Pats have struggled offensively for years, that would be a huge development for the offense as a whole. In what’s been a slow start for the wide receivers, it’s been a welcome sight for Jones and his No. 1 tight end.
“Mac’s done a great job,” Henry said. “Same guy every day, man. Works his tail off. He’s fun to compete with. I love going to battle with him. So, I’m excited to continue to build that trust together, build that chemistry out here, talking through things, working through things. It’s fun to go to work with him.”
WR DeVante Parker
New England Patriots wide receiver DeVante Parker makes a catch during training camp in Foxboro. (Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)
Parker had both good and bad moments that stuck out on Friday, so he gets a spot on the list. The good play came in 7-on-7. Mac Jones came off his first read and ran to his right, while Parker adjusted and ran to his right, and the pair connected for an on-the-run completion in the back of the end zone. Nice play.
The bad? Jones threw up a corner fade in Parker’s direction during an 11-on-11 drill, but cornerback Jonathan Jones (more on him later) went up and broke up the pass. Nothing against Jonathan Jones, who’s off to a great start in camp, but if Parker wants to be a true No. 1 receiver, he needs to win that matchup.
WR Demario Douglas
Jul 26, 2023; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots New England Patriots wide receiver Demario Douglas (60) makes a catch during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Douglas continues to get run with Mac Jones and the starting offense, which is a great sign for him to establish himself as the No. 5 option behind Parker, Tyquan Thornton, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Kendrick Bourne. But the rookie sixth-round pick also made an impressive play with the 2’s in 11-on-11.
It was basically a short dump-off from Bailey Zappe, but the impressive part was Douglas’ burst after the catch. If the offense around Douglas can put him in position to succeed, he’s a player who could make noise with his speed and quickness. It looks like the opportunity is there for him.
TE Matt Sokol
New England Patriots tight end Matt Sokol makes a catch while running a drill at 2023 minicamp in Foxboro. (Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)
As much as Henry and Mike Gesicki look like a strong 1-2 punch at tight end, the Pats could and probably will use a third tight end on their roster. Sokol has been the reserve TE to make the biggest impact in team drills, catching another pass from Zappe in 11’s on Friday.
If the Pats are going to carry a third tight end on the main roster, Sokol looks to be in the lead over Anthony Firkser, Scotty Washington, and Johnny Lumpkin.
CB Christian Gonzalez
New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (50) sprints during 2023 training camp in Foxboro. (Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)
Three days into camp, Gonzalez has gotten better every day, and that’s no small feat because he’s been mainly running with the starters. He’s lined up against multiple pass-catchers in multiple spots on the field, and has not just looked comfortable but largely excelled in his matchups.
On Friday, Gonzalez notched another pass breakup, this time in 7-on-7 against Thornton. He got one against Smith-Schuster on Thursday. The only notable catch I’ve seen him allow was against Parker on Thursday. Overall, Gonzalez has been excellent and looks like an impact guy right out of the chute.
CB Jonathan Jones
Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones at 2023 training camp in Foxboro. (98.5 The Sports Hub)
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Jonathan Jones from Friday, because the Pats’ “elder statesman” of the cornerback room absolutely dominated team drills.
Jones first made noise on the second snap of 7-on-7, when he was tight in coverage on an incompletion intended for Parker. He took it to another level on the second snap of 11-on-11, when he actually broke up a pass attempt going Parker’s way. He did it again to Parker three snaps later, and was also tight on Thornton on another incompletion.
Jones may not have the typical profile of a starting outside corner, but he’s been a really good player for years and he showed why in those drills.
OT Conor McDermott
New England Patriots offensive tackle Conor McDermott against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
McDermott gets a nod for Friday because of his mere usage. He saw a good share of snaps with the starters at right tackle, indicating that he’s gaining ground on Riley Reiff for that spot.
A former sixth-round pick of the Patriots in 2017, McDermott was somewhere between serviceable and solid after re-joining New England in 2022. So, we give him a chance to maintain his role as the starting right tackle out of the gate in 2023.
P Corliss Waitman
New England Patriots punter Corliss Waitman during a break in action at 2023 minicamp in Foxboro. (Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)
Waitman looks to have a leg up (pun intended) on rookie Bryce Baringer to be the primary punter in 2023. But the real good sign for Waitman on Friday is that he was the primary kickoff man when the Pats ran team kickoff drills, including both off the tee and safety kicks.
If Waitman can provide kickoffs in addition to punting, that gives him a great chance to win the roster competition.
