FOXBORO, Mass. — Drake Maye doesn’t have extensive experience working with New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas just yet. But Maye believes Douglas has a similar skillset to his former college teammate, Josh Downs.
The Patriots rookie quarterback painted that picture after organized team activities at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday.
“You can’t guard them in a phone booth,” Maye said in reference to Downs and Douglas.
You can’t guard them in a phone booth.
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye
Douglas looked like New England’s best skill-position player during open-to-media OTAs. Douglas recorded at least three touchdowns in 7-on-7s on Tuesday, establishing his connection with starter Jacoby Brissett, Maye and Bailey Zappe.
Maye took second-team reps ahead of Zappe on Tuesday after Zappe was atop Maye on the depth chart in the prior two open-to-media sessions.
“Pop’s a great player,” Maye said. “He made a lot of catches down there.
“He’s twitchy, speed. Those two things you can’t work on, speed and twitchiness. He’s got them both. So, I’m looking forward to seeing what he does.”
Downs, who was a third-round pick by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2023 NFL Draft, compiled 1,029 yards on 94 receptions and 11 touchdowns during Maye’s impressive freshman season. Maye was named ACC Player of the Year in that campaign.
Downs went on to record 771 yards on 68 receptions in his debut NFL season.
Should Douglas finish with something in that neighborhood, it surely would be a welcomed development for the Patriots.