– One thing that caught the eye is how big many of the pass-catchers are in Maye’s arsenal: Raridon (6-6), Henry (6-5), Hollins (6-4), Doubs (6-2), and Brown (6-1) all have good size. Kayshon Boutte (5-11), Kyle Williams (5-10), and DeMario Douglas (5-8) aren’t quite as big. But the Patriots have mostly built a lineup filled with power forwards and centers, perhaps to cater to the QB’s preferences
– WR A.J. Brown has come as advertised since arriving in Foxborough. Maye connecting with Brown on a back-shoulder fade and a ridiculous twisting touchdown catch in red zone work were flashes of what the two can do together. Brown has repped mostly at outside receiver, running the vertical route tree (go, hitch, slant), but the possibility of McDaniels hunting favorable matchups by moving him around the formation remains.
– WR Romeo Doubs has found success as an underneath target, which isn’t surprising as he projects to play a “big” slot role. Doubs is a sturdy target on slants, unders, and spot/option routes over the middle. However, you’d like the Maye-to-Doubs connection to generate more explosive plays. The thought has crossed my mind that Doubs might not be a flashy practice player, so those “X” plays might come more in games.
– WR DeMario Douglas is putting together an impressive spring. Douglas had a great run-up to the 2025 season as well, before his slot snaps were reduced to play Diggs inside. Douglas’s quickness and speed to separate from man coverage stand out among the other receivers. The question is whether it translates in the regular season
– The backup “X” receiver role is where the room gets crowded. WR Kayshon Boutte re-entered practice with a signature deep touchdown in Tuesday’s session, while Kyle Williams and Mack Hollins are also in the mix. Hollins’s versatility as a blocker, receiver, and locker room glue guy feels safe, and Williams is hoping for a year-two leap and brings a speed element, but Boutte is probably the best player out of that group. For what it’s worth, whoever is the backup “X” could play a significant role in freeing up Brown to move around the formation.
– Following a season-ending injury for TE Julian Hill in OTAs, Vrabel indicated that the Patriots will add a tight end to the roster before camp: will it be more of a camp body or a contributor? That answer could come down to whether the coaches believe third-round rookie Eli Raridon is trending in the right direction. Raridon caught a crossing route and a low-red zone touchdown (flat). However, young tight ends are usually slower to develop due to the robust run-pass game responsibilities. Taking some pressure off Raridon by adding a veteran with experience could be the move.
– TE/FB Jack Westover has seen a bulk of the snaps since since Hill’s injury, possibly due to him being the incumbent in the room. Second-year pro C.J. Dippre and undrafted rookie Tanner Arkin could make roster pushes in camp and the preseason, where their in-line blocking ability will be more noticeable. Right now, Westover has the early lead to be the third tight end, but he missed Thursday’s practice.
– FB Regie Gilliam’s movement skills have caught the eye while running routes, with spring practices focusing on the passing game. Gilliam has more tight end-ish skills as a receiver than his predecessors at the position, which could lead to some fun wrinkles from McDaniels, where Gilliam runs verticals from the backfield or flexes out wide in empty formations.
– RB TreVeyon Henderson spoke about improving as a pass-catcher, with an emphasis on pass blocking/blitz pickup. Henderson’s skill as a pass blocker didn’t fully translate in his rookie season after being a standout blocker in college, which limited his ability to play in the passing game. Henderson’s speed could bring a field-stretching element out of the backfield, with him flashing that ability on a wheel route TD on LB Christian Elliss in red zone work.
– The RB3 competition is too difficult to call in the spring, seeing that there’s minimal contact and zero tackling to the ground. For the most part, running back isn’t a position that you can fully evaluate in practice. Based on usage, Lan Larison seems to be an early favorite with seventh-rounder Jam Miller and undrafted rookie Myles Montgomery also in the mix.
– LT Will Campbell repped exclusively at left tackle during the spring and looks like he’s added some bulk to his frame this offseason. First-rounder Caleb Lomu has filled in for veteran Morgan Moses at right tackle, who sat out minicamp as a part of his management plan. Lomu has taken a few reps at left tackle and was at left guard on Thursday, as the Pats cross-train him for what’s likely to be a top backup role in year one.
– Although it’s hard to glean much in the trenches in unpadded practices, I like the look of the line with LG Alijah Vera-Tucker and Jared Wilson at center. The hope here is that all three of those spots get a boost from the pieces fitting together better than playing Campbell and Wilson next to each other. Wilson looks like a natural at the pivot and Vera-Tucker upped his participation in team drills as the spring wore on while working his way back from a season-ending injury a year ago (torn triceps).
– G/C Ben Brown is poised to be the super-sub on the interior, rotating at left guard and as a backup center. After an early push for G Andrew Rupcich, who has also played some center this spring, former third-rounder Caedan Wallace has gotten more run at right guard behind Mike Onwenu. Rupcich and Wallace are early favorites to build out the interior O-Line depth.
– The Patriots are developing two hulking day-three picks at tackle in Marcus Bryant and rookie Dametrious Crownover. Bryant has spelled Lomu at times with Moses out of practice, while Crownover has mostly repped at right tackle.
