FOXBORO -- Patriots coaches have long known about Drake Maye’s athleticism and arm strength. They learned about his ability to think through the game during the pre-draft period.
Now they’re getting a feel for just how quickly he’s able to process behind the line of scrimmage in their new offense.
It’s not always immaculate for Maye as he surveys defensive looks, but he showed he could get through reads and strike with decisiveness in last week’s preseason game with the Eagles. He did so again in a long practice (over two hours) in full pads on Sunday.
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The No. 3 overall pick leads our Stock Up column for Day 16 of Patriots camp…
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Drake Maye, quarterback
The rookie didn’t get first-team reps on Sunday, but he was the more decisive and accurate player compared to Jacoby Brissett.
In 7-on-7 work in the red zone, Maye made on-time strikes to Tyquan Thornton and Javon Baker. He also found K.J. Osborn on a roll-out throw when he realized quickly his first couple of reads had been taken away. Oftentimes roll-outs in 7-on-7 are completely broken plays. But Maye got through his reads decisively, turned the play into a scramble drill and threw accurately on the move.
He also later his Ja’Lynn Polk and Jaheim Bell for touchdowns in an 11-on-11 period that were quick decisions. He had another beauty of a throw to Osborn near the sideline that allowed the veteran to make a leaping, twisting back-shoulder grab for a first down.
Maye threw a near pick to Joe Giles-Harris rolling out in an 11-on-11 rep, but he had another non-completion that was one of the best throws of his day, finding Baker deep down the right sideline for a diving attempt that Baker couldn't reel in thanks in part to some tight coverage from Alex Austin. It was an accurate throw though that in some ways looked like his downfield incompletion to Baker against the Eagles last week.
Jaheim Bell, tight end
The rookie tight end made the most of his chances as a pass-catcher Sunday, reeling in three touchdowns from three different quarterbacks. Bell saw plenty of reps with Austin Hooper and Hunter Henry out. No. 3 tight end Mitchell Wilcox was hurt mid-practice, which led to an even thinner tight end group.
Bell caught out-route scores from Maye and Jacoby Brissett, and he scored another working across the formation on an option play with Joe Milton at the controls. Bell isn’t an in-line enforcer in the run game, but as an offensive weapon, he’s shown in practices that he can be hard to cover.
Sam Roberts, defensive tackle
Always good to highlight the work of an unheralded player when we can here, and Roberts is deserving.
He helped force an incompletion by driving Caedan Wallace backwards into Maye’s pocket. He knocked Wallace back again later to help stop a JaMycal Hasty run, and he picked up a “sack” when he beat center Charles Turner. His power was evident, too, when he got the best of Atonio Mafi in a one-on-one rep.
Stock down
Tight end depth
Henry could be out for a bit longer, and Hooper is now dealing an injury he suffered Saturday. That left the Patriots thin enough. But then the team saw Mitchell Wilcox go down hurt on Sunday. Jaheim Bell and Jacob Warren saw a lot of work thereafter.
Warren had some trouble with a low pass at the goal line from Brissett early in the practice, and it looked like the undrafted rookie wasn’t expecting it to be thrown there (despite quarterbacks typically making low throws in that area to avoid deflections and picks).
Javon Baker, wide receiver
Baker made an easy touchdown grab on a nice throw from Maye in a red-zone 7-on-7 period, but he had a 50-50 jump ball slip through his hands in the same period. It also looked like he could’ve caught a Maye deep shot in 11-on-11 but couldn’t hold on as he dove.
He has the athleticism to be an option on those types of throws, but he hasn’t consistently hauled them in. Drops were an issue for him at UCF and they’ve popped up at times for him this summer.
Marcellas Dial, cornerback
It wasn’t a bad practice for Dial, but he just so happened to be on the wrong end of a highlight grab at the end of practice.
On a Joe Milton deep ball, Kawaan Baker reached around Dial’s back and pinned the football to Dial’s helmet, controlling the ball through the ground for a completion that had offensive players on the sidelines going crazy.
Dial was in coverage for eight catches that went for 106 yards last week in the preseason exhibition with the Eagles.