Mac Jones Hypes Up Patriots Camp Star Before Preseason Finale

The star of New England Patriots training camp has a big fan in Mac Jones.

During an appearance Monday on WEEI’s “Jones and Mego,” Jones raved about rookie wide receiver Demario Douglas, whose stock has skyrocketed since camp began last month.

“I’ve known him for a long time, and I know what he’s capable of,” Jones said. “He’s not the biggest-framed guy, not the most impressive when you see him, but when you see him out there on the field, you’re like, ‘OK, this kid can play football.’ And that’s what I love about him.”

One of the Patriots’ smallest players at 5-foot-8, 192 pounds, Douglas was a youth football “legend” in his and Jones’ hometown of Jacksonville, Fla. Douglas came to New England after a stellar final season at Liberty and, despite being a sixth-round draft pick, quickly began seeing reps with Jones and the Patriots’ other offensive regulars.

Douglas has been one of the Patriots’ most productive pass-catchers in practice this summer, and the fact he hardly played in their first two preseason games was a positive sign for his roster hopes. The slippery slot receiver logged just two offensive snaps against the Houston Texans and three against the Green Bay Packers, catching two passes for 17 yards and converting one third down.

At this point, it would be stunning if Douglas was not included on New England’s initial 53-man roster, which must be finalized by next Tuesday.

“He just has a big heart, wants to go out there and win, and he’s going to continue to do that,” Jones said on WEEI. “I know that he’s built from the right stuff, and I definitely really like his personality, too. He’s really funny and brings a lot of juice to the field, so I’m definitely happy he’s with us right now. He’s just got to keep pushing along and making those plays.”

The Patriots will close out the preseason this Friday night against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium.