5 standouts from Day 1 of Patriots' mandatory minicamp

The New England Patriots held their first mandatory minicamp practice on Tuesday. It was another light practice with some returning faces who had skipped out on voluntary OTAs.

The team is slated to hold two more practices scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday. After this week, they will go on a final break before returning this summer for training camp, which kicks off on July 25.

There were competitive 11-on-11 periods at practice, but without pads, it’s hard to get a true feeling of where players are at right now, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. However, five standouts deserve mentioning from practice.

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye was sharp throughout the 11-on-11 team periods, going 19-of-22 passing on the afternoon. No, he wasn’t throwing against star cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who participated in light work, but Carlton Davis III was back on the field for this practice. The connection with A.J. Brown is already showing signs of life for Maye, who connected with the three-time All-Pro receiver on two back-shoulder passes.

A.J. Brown might be getting all of the attention, but the leading receiver for the Patriots on Tuesday was veteran wideout DeMario Douglas. He hauled in a team-high five receptions during the competitive period, which has been a common theme throughout the offseason practices. For all of the talk of Brown and Romeo Doubs, Douglas could be positioned to finally break out in 2026.

Maye wasn’t the only quarterback who had a good showing at Tuesday’s practice. Backup quarterback Tommy DeVito also had a good day, completing 11-of-13 passes. The Patriots had enough faith in DeVito to cut Joshua Dobbs and make him the top backup.

A.J. Brown didn’t do a lot on the practice field, but he also felt more involved for a player who has only been in town for a little over a week. He hauled in three passes in total, including a touchdown reception on a back-shoulder connection with Maye. The ability to find that kind of connection early on with Maye is nothing short of astounding. It only adds to the expectation that Maye and Brown will hit the ground running by the start of the regular season.

Patriots tight end Hunter Henry had the second-most receptions at practice with four catches. If anything, it served as a reminder of how important Henry has been for Maye. He is basically another receiver on the field and one of Maye’s most reliable targets. That doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon.

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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: 5 standouts from Day 1 of Patriots’ mandatory minicamp