6 biggest takeaways from Day 1 of Patriots' mandatory minicamp practice

USA Today

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6 biggest takeaways from Day 1 of Patriots' mandatory minicamp practice
The New England Patriots kick-started mandatory minicamp on Monday after spending the previous three weeks prepping during voluntary organized team activities (OTAs).
As Patriots coach Mike Vrabel noted during his media scrum, the practice setup was similar to the structure used in OTAs. The team went through a period of drills and competitive 11-on-11 work. There were no holdouts on the roster, even though a couple of players were absent due to personal reasons, per Vrabel.
Minicamp is the final opportunity for the players to practice together before taking off for another break and returning in late July for training camp. So this is an important practice period considering it's the final time the coaches will have all of the players in the building before things pick up in the summer.
Here are the six biggest takeaways from Day 1 of mandatory minicamp for the Patriots:
Another strong showing from Drake Maye and Patriots' offense
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye picked up where he left off in the final open OTAs practice last week. He looked sharp on the field on Monday, completing 15-of-19 passes against the defense.
It's clear to see that the second-year quarterback is getting more comfortable with Josh McDaniels' offense after every practice. The hope is that he has full command of the offense by the start of the season. It's asking a lot of a 22-year-old quarterback who doesn't have a lot of football experience under his belt.
But then again, Maye is a rare talent with a great understanding of the game to pair with his incredible athletic abilities. When speaking with the media after practice, he noted how well McDaniels' offensive philosophy can take advantage of mismatches. That's a great early sign for the quarterback and offensive coordinator combination.
Checking in on Stefon Diggs
Stefon Diggs was limited in his participation on Monday, but he was on the field for practice. You wouldn't be able to tell he was a 31-year-old player coming off an ACL injury from watching him run routes on the field. Diggs' recovery has been so remarkable that it should be studied.
It's a testament to his incredible work ethic and how seriously he takes his craft.
It's becoming harder to envision a scenario where Diggs isn't on the field for Week 1 of the regular season. He is clearly ahead of schedule and trending in the right direction.
Rookie OT Will Campbell continues to hold his own
The biggest need for the Patriots entering the offseason was a franchise left tackle to pair with their young quarterback. That led to them using the No. 4 overall pick of the 2025 NFL draft on LSU standout offensive tackle Will Campbell.
How has that looked so far?
It's hard to tell considering the team isn't practicing in pads, and the guys up front are limited in what they can do in such a setting.
With that said, Campbell has held his own as Drake Maye's blindside protector in early practices. As Patriots.com's Evan Lazar noted, there has been a steady improvement for the young offensive lineman, and that's the most you could hope for at this point.
Patriots' investment in defensive front paying off
As mentioned in the Will Campbell section, it's hard to truly gauge where the offensive line and defensive line are in the offseason work. The amount of contact is limited without pads, and players aren't in a position to compete at 100 percent.
With that said, the defensive front has been generating pressure during competitive periods.
It should come as no surprise considering the large amount of money the Patriots invested at linebacker and defensive tackle. Milton Williams and Christian Barmore are two of the highest-paid players in franchise history.
The team also added Robert Spillane, Jack Gibbens and Harold Landry III in free agency, along with drafting rookies Joshua Farmer and Bradyn Swinson. It's an exceptionally well-constructed unit on paper that could do a lot of damage to opposing offenses in 2025.
Cole Strange takes back over at left guard
The left guard position has been a revolving door over the last few weeks at OTAs. Multiple players have gotten opportunities at the spot that typically belongs to veteran Cole Strange.
The fourth-year offensive lineman is in the final year of his rookie contract, and some have wondered if the team could be looking at another left guard option. However, it was back to normal on Monday with Strange once again taking the top left guard reps for the Patriots.
Strange should still be considered the favorite to win the starting job at left guard, but it's also clear that the Patriots are leaving no stone unturned in regards to their options. Wes Schweitzer, Tyrese Robinson, Sidy Sow and Layden Robinson should all be in the mix.
Top receivers of the practice period
The top receivers in Monday's practice period for the Patriots were Kayshon Boutte, Demario Douglas and Kendrick Bourne.
Drake Maye hit Boutte on a pass with All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez in coverage, and he also connected with Douglas against Carlton Davis III. It was a solid practice for the Patriots' offense against a much-improved defensive unit.
Boutte and Bourne were the Patriots' top wide receivers last season, and Bourne has the most experience in a Josh McDaniels-coached offense. It really shouldn't come as a surprise that all three are off to such a strong start at minicamp.
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