From Drake Maye to Stefon Diggs, one thought on every Patriots player on offense

New York Times

15 hours ago

FOXBORO, Mass. — Training camp is about to pick up for the New England Patriots. They return from the weekend off with a couple of early-week sessions before their first joint practice of the summer when the Washington Commanders visit on Wednesday. Then the first preseason game is Friday, though it might be overshadowed by the pregame unveiling of the 12-foot Tom Brady statue.
Advertisement
As camp kicks into high gear, let's take stock of all 91 players on the roster by offering one thought on each. Up first: the offense. Tomorrow, we'll hit the defense.
Drake Maye, QB: The most noteworthy aspect of Maye's summer, to me, has been the lack of turnovers. Has he pushed it downfield with success as much as you'd like to see? Probably not. But he's taking care of the ball and didn't throw a pick until the Friday night scrimmage after 10 interceptions last season in basically 11 games.
Joshua Dobbs, QB: He's got more gunslinger to him than I realized and has been everything you'd expect in a veteran backup.
Ben Wooldridge, QB: It's been a better start to camp than I expected for him, but it'll still take a great showing in the preseason games to land on the 53-man roster.
Rhamondre Stevenson, RB: Steady. That's the best way to describe him so far. After last season's fumbling issues, it's a welcome sight.
TreVeyon Henderson, RB: Fun. If Stevenson is the steady, get you 4 yards up the middle running back in this offense, Henderson is the home run hitter.
Antonio Gibson, RB: The talent he displayed last season is still there, even if his role has shrunk.
Lan Larison, RB: It's been fun watching him as a kickoff returner. Even though he doesn't have great straight-line speed, he's shifty. He'll probably end up as the backup kick returner behind Henderson and Gibson.
Terrell Jennings, RB: Larison has been the better running back, which doesn't bode well for Jennings' status.
Hunter Henry, TE: He's still Mr. Reliable. You know what you're going to get from Henry.
Austin Hooper, TE: After missing the start of camp, Hooper looks like he'll be the No. 2 in an offense that will likely use three-wide receiver formations less than the rest of the league.
Jaheim Bell, TE: This hasn't been the camp he wanted — or needed — to make the team. He'll have to elevate his play in the coming weeks.
Advertisement
Jack Westover, TE: He was probably always an underdog to get the No. 3 tight end job, but he's not out of it yet.
Gee Scott Jr., TE: Probably the best of the bunch in the battle for the No. 3 tight end job, but none of them have been great.
CJ Dippre, TE: Dippre has been outplayed by Scott and Westover, but his special teams skills (529 snaps there in college) should show up more in preseason games.
Tyler Davis, TE: It isn't a great endorsement for the four tight ends above that the Patriots added two players at the position (Davis and Fotheringham, below) this week to compete for that last roster spot. His first practice was a walk-through on Thursday.
Cole Fotheringham, TE: See above.
Stefon Diggs, WR: It's still hard to believe he suffered a torn ACL nine months ago. If he can stay healthy, another 1,000-yard season isn't just in play but might be likely.
DeMario Douglas, WR: To date, he's been the team's second-best wide receiver. The problem is he's pretty much a slot-only guy, so he may not see the field much in big formations.
Mack Hollins, WR: After missing spring practices and the first two weeks of camp, he's off the PUP list. The Patriots like his size and think he'll be a good possession receiver for Maye. In his first practice, he was already playing with the starters.
Kyle Williams, WR: Boom or bust so far. He has made the most explosive plays of any receiver in camp, but he also has more drops than any receiver. For a team that lacks explosiveness, you've probably got to take the bad with the good and just get him on the field.
Kayshon Boutte, WR: He's reminding everyone why he had the most yards per game of any receiver on the Patriots last year. At this point, it would be a surprise if he didn't make the roster as the fourth or fifth option.
Kendrick Bourne, WR: This is where the competition really gets interesting if the Patriots want a sixth receiver. Bourne hasn't done much to solidify a spot … but neither have the names below him here.
Advertisement
Efton Chism, WR: It's easy to envision him developing on the practice squad into a good man-coverage-beating receiver who picks up some big third downs.
Ja'Lynn Polk, WR: The 2024 second-round pick downplayed the narratives around his bust of a rookie season and had two of his best practices last week.
Javon Baker, WR: There's been more bad than good here, and Baker is probably on the wrong side of the roster bubble entering a big week.
John Jiles, WR: He spent last season on the practice squad and is trying to show he deserves a spot there again this season.
Jeremiah Webb, WR: The preseason games will be important for him to catch the eye of some teams and prolong his NFL career.
Will Campbell, LT: Has it been a great camp for him? No — but that's OK. He's 21. It's hard to play left tackle in the NFL. Nothing should change long term, even if the pass blocking has been shaky.
Jared Wilson, G/C: No rookie has impressed more so far than Wilson, who has veterans praising his athleticism and work ethic. He'll be a starter this season — it's just a matter of whether it's at left guard or center. Based on last week, it's likely going to be left guard.
Garrett Bradbury, C: He suffered an injury Tuesday that might be serious, considering it caused the Patriots to juggle a few positions (with Wilson going to guard and Cole Strange moving to center).
Cole Strange, G/C: The Bradbury injury has Strange as the backup center with Wilson taking his old spot at left guard.
Mike Onwenu, RG: Almost certainly, he'll be the best offensive lineman on the team for a fourth straight year.
Morgan Moses, RT: What he brings on the field is almost as valuable as what he brings off it, particularly with how he's helping the young linemen. More than anything, he brings stability that the Pats have lacked.
Advertisement
Demontrey Jacobs, OT: After starting 13 games for the Pats last year, he should slot in as the swing tackle this season.
Caedan Wallace, G: It's probably not great that a third-round pick last year has already been asked to move inside to guard. But if it helps eventually make him a starter, so be it.
Ben Brown, C: Consistency is key at center, and the Pats like what he brings. He is serving as the starter while Bradbury is injured.
Marcus Bryant, OT: He has the tools (6-foot-7, long arms, a 32-inch vertical), so the Pats are seeing if they can develop him into something. For now, he's the No. 4 offensive tackle.
Tyrese Robinson, G: A lack of athleticism hurts him, but he's battling for one of the final spots on the interior of the O-line.
Vederian Lowe, OT: A starter last year, Lowe has been on the PUP list and thus unable to make an impression on the new coaching staff. The last spot among the tackles will likely come down to Bryant and Lowe.
Sidy Sow, G: It was not long ago that there was so much promise and hope that he'd be a long-term starter for the Patriots. Now it seems unlikely he even makes the team.
Layden Robinson, G: See: Sow, Sidy.
Jack Conley, G: The BC product has plenty of size, but he's raw and will be a candidate for the practice squad.
Mehki Butler, G: He doesn't have traditional size (6-foot-3) or strength (22 reps on the bench press), but he has long arms that give him a chance.
Alec Lindstrom, C: He was brought in last week to give the Pats another center after Bradbury's injury.
(All photos: Eric Canha / Imagn Images)