On Tuesday afternoon, the Patriots held their second of three scheduled Minicamp practices at Gillette Stadium. Like all Minicamp practices, it was an unpadded, non-contact practice.

Still, there was a noticeably more competitive tempo during team drills (7-on-7s, 11-on-11s). That might reflect the work that's been put in over the past few weeks, allowing players to become more comfortable in their assignments.

So, what did we learn from the more up-tempo session? Here's today's observations...

It was the defense that set the tone for Tuesday's practice - specifically the defensive line. During a lengthy 11-on-11 period, the group up front was hounding the quarterback - both the projected starters against the first team offense and projected backups against the second team.

There were certainly some 'sacks' (gauged unofficially in an unpadded practice), but what was really noticeable was the number of batted balls at the line. Christian Barmore alone had two over the course of just a few plays.

For one sequence of plays it was a bit reminiscent of 2022 training camp, with the play not even having time to develop for the offense. That's not to sound the alarm bells - it was just one period of one practice without pads - but a reminder that last year's issues can just be fixed with a snap of the fingers.

As the offensive line struggled, it's worth noting they were down two projected starters in guard Mike Onwenu (who isn't participating in spring practices while rehabbing from offseason ankle surgery) and tackle Trent Brown. Brown missed Monday's practice entirely, then was limited on Tuesday including missing all team drills.

In Brown's absence, Calvin Anderson has worked almost exclusively as the team's top left tackle. The real battle appears to be on the right side. Riley Reiff appeared to have the edge early on in OTAs, but Conor McDermott's workload has steadily increased as the spring has gone on.

That would be a sign that the team plans on putting Brown back at left tackle when he fully returns, and is taking a closer look at the right tackle spot as the 'open' side. It's impossible to truly judge offensive linemen in non-contact practices, but Reiff and McDermott appears to be a position battle on the way this summer.

On Tuesday, backup quarterback Bailey Zappe took impact reps with the projected starters for the first time this spring. It was just two drives, as he followed Mac Jones in the same drill. Jones then repped with the projected second team.

This is hardly enough to say there's a legit quarterback competition between the two brewing heading into the summer. Most likely, the coaching staff wanted to get both quarterbacks experience working with linemen and pass-catchers they don't get to work with often, just in case.

Last year, one of the most notable quotes of training camp was wide receiver DeVante Parker saying that 50-50 balls are "80-20" balls when he's involved. On Tuesday, he showed off that skillset.

Early in practice during 7-on-7s, Parker ran a deep route against Jonathan Jones to the back corner of the end zone. Mac Jones put the ball in a spot where Parker could use his size to his advantage, and the 6-foot-3 wide receiver twisted up to grab the ball, then toe-tapped to complete the catch.

Towards the end of practice, Parker was running a fade down the sideline against Ameer Speed. Again, he was able to high-point a throw and pluck the back-shoulder throw away from the 6-foot-3 cornerback.

It was fitting that Parker reminded the team and those in attendance of what he can do, given there's been so much talk about DeAndre Hopkins - who likely would replace Parker in the Patriots' WR pecking order. "I’m focused on us. Great player, but I’m just focused on us," Parker said when asked about Hopkins potentially joining the Patriots. "Next question."

What's a 2023 spring practice notebook without some Marte Mapu hype? The third-round pick flashed his coverage skills a few times on Tuesday, most notably running step-for-step with running back Kevin Harris down the sideline to break up a pass on a wheel route.

If you think we've been hyping up Mapu a lot over the past few weeks, Matthew Judon may have taken it to another level when asked about the rookie after practice. "I think just his speed and how big is he. He runs like a free safety, but he stands like a linebacker or an EDGE player," he said, when asked what stands out to him about Mapu. "That's another guy that can play all three levels. I think you have people like that here all the time. You have people like Jamie Collins or [Dont'a] Hightower and stuff like that. It's just new names. It's just new names in that situation."

There have been two developments in the Patriots' secondary taking place over the last few days that go hand-in-hand. Both are positive signs for the overall trajectory of the defense.

As mentioned yesterday, the Patriots have started putting Christian Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones, and Jack Jones all on the field at the same time. The three are the team's top three boundary cornerbacks, so somebody has to play out of position to make this happen.

While they've gone with a few different configurations, for the most part when the trio has been on the field it's been Jon Jones moving to free safety. Not only does he have a strong skillset to play that position, but as the team's longest-tenured defensive back he has the experience to help with communication and adjustments - a role the team needs filled following the retirement of Devin McCourty.

At the same time, Jack Jones as looked solid in his boundary corner role. If he can be consistent in that spot long-term, it will allow the Patriots the flexibility to put Jon Jones on the back end more often.

It wasn't as expansive as the 'fight' we saw during OTAs, but there was a scuffle late in Tuesday's Patriots practice. Linebacker Anfernee Jennings and rookie offensive lineman Sidy Sow got tangled up during a run play, and after some shoving Jennings ended up throwing (but not connecting on) a punch. Matthew Judon separated the two players, who later returned to practice.

The Patriots held two team punting sessions on Tuesday. After not kicking during Monday's practice, rookie Bryce Baringer returned to action and alternated punts with veteran Corliss Waitman. Here are their hang times...

Waitman:

4.62 seconds
4.94
3.82
4.92
--
3.98
4.70

Baringer:

3.65 seconds
--
4.39
4.51
4.61

Baringer also lost a rep during the first punting session due to a bad snap from backup long snapper Tucker Addington.

The Patriots were without eight players on Tuesday. They were...

WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
WR Tyquan Thornton
WR Kayshon Boutte
G Mike Onwenu
DL Lawrence Guy
DL Keion White
DL Justus Tavai
DB Quandre Mosely

In addition, Trent Brown was a limited participant. Marte Mapu and rookie guard Atonio Mafi were both once again in red non-contact jerseys.

The Patriots are scheduled to hold their final practice of Minicamp and of the spring on Wednesday. After that, the team will be dismissed until training camp.

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.