FOXBORO, Mass. — Drake Maye looked the part during his second practice with the New England Patriots.
Well, as much as one can look the part when the team isn’t in pads, isn’t practicing at full speed and doesn’t include a single veteran on the field.
The session at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, the second and final day of Patriots rookie minicamp but first open to the media, was just under an hour.
Nevertheless, there were some initial impressions made.
Story continues below advertisement
“Early impressions of Drake? Look, he has a lot to work on. A lot to work on,” Patriots first-year head coach Jerod Mayo said of Maye before practice. “But I have no doubt that he will put the time in.”
Mayo got his initial look at Maye on Friday. He said Maye was at the facility all night trying to get on the same page as everyone else.
Maye started the session throwing into a net and working on handoffs, handoffs that will become a fixture in New England’s new wide-zone scheme. Maye then came together with offensive skill-players and flashed some perfectly-placed balls to receivers in drills where the wasn’t any defense. Seventh-round tight end Jaheim Bell made one of the nicer catches of the period. But for Maye, the ball came out of his hand nicely. Simply put.
Maye, the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, received all the snaps that would classify as first-team reps in half speed 7-on-7s. He threw to second-round wideout Ja’Lynn Polk, fourth-rounder Javon Baker and tryout player David Wallis, among others. Maye was 5-for-6 during his 7-on-7 session while Joe Milton III went 1-for-4 with one drop.
Story continues below advertisement
more patriots
Maye also was behind center when the group’s first-team all-rookie offensive line was on the field. That group included left tackle Caedan Wallace and left guard Layden Robinson.
“Drake’s awesome,” Wallace said. “He’s a calm, cool, collected type of guy. Vocal leader. It’s been cool working with him, getting to know him.”
Story continues below advertisement
Wallace played right tackle in college, but Patriots de facto general manager Eliot Wolf said New England was confident he could make the transition from right to left. Wallace is fully confident in it, as well, saying he played on the left side during practices at Penn State and throughout high school.
Robinson, who played on the right side at Texas A&M, was next to Wallace at left guard. Robinson said Maye’s leadership already has stood out to him and credited the quarterback’s energy and intensity. The fact Maye shared a pen with Robinson during a meeting earned a shoutout, as well.
“His leadership style that I’ve seen so far, he’s always communicating with people,” Robinson said of Maye. “Having that leadership around, having that energy, you always have to have your best energy as well.”
It’s obviously very early for Maye and the rest of New England’s rookies. But the first impression of the highly-regarded quarterback prospect, both from those on the field and those watching from afar, indicate he’s off to a fine start.
Story continues below advertisement
Featured image via Eric Canha/USA TODAY Sports Images
