Phil Perry and Tom E. Curran discuss Drake Maye’s struggles with accuracy during Monday’s training camp practice, and whether or not his early issues are cause for concern.
FOXBORO -- Though the Patriots went through their first fully-padded practice on Monday, their offense didn't exactly seem as though it was moving in the right direction in terms of being ready for meaningful football.
They committed at least two false starts on Day 5 of camp -- one by running back Rhamondre Stevenson and one by right tackle Chukwuma Okorafor. There was another wonky snap-count situation -- half the line blocked and half remained in their pre-snap stance -- that led to a sack of Jacoby Brissett. There were five sacks in all for the offense before the practice was through. Pass-catchers also happened to drop five different passes over the course of the workout.
After one of those drops, a miss by rookie wideout Javon Baker (who has been one of the offense's best players in recent practices), the entire offense was sent for a lap and then spoken to by head coach Jerod Mayo.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
"We just kept jumping offsides," tight end Austin Hooper said later. "We aren't figuring it out by talking to each other so let's run until we figure it out. We'll be a cross-country team or we'll be a football team. I'd rather be a football team."
It wasn't all bad for players on that side of the ball. The offensive line held its own during a one-on-one period, and starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett had one of his best days of camp.
Let's get to our Day 5 edition of Stock Watch...
MORE PATRIOTS
Stock Up
Jacoby Brissett, quarterback
In 11-on-11 periods, Brissett ended up going 8-for-9, and his lone incompletion was a drop by rookie wideout Ja'Lynn Polk. Late in the practice, the veteran quarterback heated up by hitting Javon Baker for an explosive gain down the right sideline. It appeared as though Brissett got the defense to go offsides and then used the "free play" to take a chance on a jump ball to the rookie.
Four plays later, Brissett dropped an in-the-bucket completion to Tyquan Thornton down the right sideline again with Austin on the scene. The entire offense swarmed Thornton and actually knocked him down during the celebration.
Layden Robinson, guard
It looked as though Robinson didn't lose any of his three reps in the early-practice one-on-one period, and his most decisive win might've come against New England's most experienced pass-rusher. Robinson used a jolting initial punch to knock Deatrich Wise back on contact. It also looked like Robinson executed solid blocks on a couple of long runs for the second-team offense during 11-on-11 periods.
If the rookie fourth-round pick out of Texas A&M can prove he's worthy of working his way up the depth chart, perhaps that would free up Mike Onwenu to move from right guard back out to tackle as the team looks for answers there.
Tyquan Thornton, wide receiver
Give Thornton credit for making the most of his opportunities in this camp. He led the team with five catches on six targets on Day 2 of practice, but none of those passes featured his signature trait. On Monday, however, he was able to show off some speed. He beat Alex Austin down the right sideline and tracked the Jacoby Brissett pass over his shoulder for one of the best plays of the practice in a late 11-on-11 period. He also made a deep grab from Brissett in 7-on-7 work.
There's competition brewing at receiver behind DeMario "Pop" Douglas (still sitting out of team periods with a hand injury), Polk and Baker. Thornton, K.J. Osborn, Jalen Reagor, and Kayshon Boutte have all had positive moments in camp, and veteran JuJu Smith-Schuster remains part of the mix there as well.
Stock Down
Drake Maye, quarterback
Though the running game was the main focus of this fully-padded practice, Maye seemed to miss on a few opportunities to make some plays through the air. On Day 5, his feet didn't seem to be an obvious issue -- he improved from Day 3 to Day 4 in that regard -- but his accuracy was off at times. He went 2-for-6 in 7-on-7 work and then 1-for-4 in 11-on-11 periods.
We'll have full details on his showing in our daily Drake Maye Report, but it doesn't come as much of a surprise that the rookie's performance has been up and down of late. Day 3 looked tough for him. On Day 4, there was more good than bad. Monday was another session from which he'll be able to pull his share of learning moments.
Josh Uche, linebacker
With Christian Barmore out (recently diagnosed with blood clots) and Matthew Judon looking like a hold-in on Monday, the pass-rush talent on the Patriots defense was considerably thinned. It got even thinner when Uche got into it after the whistle with right tackle Chuks Okorafor and was quickly sent off the field and back to the locker room.
Uche has shown in the past that he can be a factor on third downs -- he had 11.5 sacks in 2022 -- but the Patriots need him to keep himself on the field as much as possible in camp given the fluctuating nature of the availability of their top pass-rushers.
Mitchell Wilcox, tight end
Austin Hooper has looked like the easy choice as New England's No. 2 tight end in recent practices. His hands have been consistent, and he's been targeted frequently by Jacoby Brissett. But the No. 3 tight end role seems more up for grabs.
Mitchell Wilcox -- in his fourth year after three with the Bengals -- may be the favorite, but Monday was a difficult day for him. Maye threw him a pass that was deflected and picked by Kyle Dugger in the lone 7-on-7 period of the day. He also had what could've been deemed two drops in 11-on-11 periods with Maye throwing him the football.
