FOXBORO — It says something about a receiver when his quarterbacks can’t feed him enough the moment he returns to full strength.

That happened Sunday when Jacoby Brissett threw at DeMario Douglas on half of his first four snaps. Then Maye targeted Douglas with his first throw. Next, during the Pats’ opening 11-on-11 period, Douglas caught Brissett’s first three completions and pocketed four of six overall.

Does that sound like a No. 1 receiver to you?

Overall, Douglas finished with seven catches in competitive team periods, three more than the next closest pass-catcher. He opened the middle of the field and gave both quarterbacks a consistently viable option against man-to-man coverage, something the Patriots have lacked for years. Will it translate to Sundays?

Too early to tell. But despite Douglas’ limited participation thus far in training camp (he’s worn a non-contact jersey due to a hand injury), it’s safe to say the quarterbacks have a new favorite target. And that would be Douglas, who also repped alongside penciled-in starters K.J. Osborn and Tyquan Thornton in team periods. (Osborn and Thornton started Thursday’s preseason opener and have led off most 11-on-11 drills this summer.)

Not to mention, Douglas led the Patriots in receiving yards and their wideouts in catches last season. Nowadays, he looks better than ever.

Elsewhere at Sunday’s practice, two veteran starters sat out, Matt Judon jumped into a new drill, the offensive tackle situation continued to confuse and a defensive lineman (!) intercepted Maye.

Here are the Herald’s complete practice observations:

Attendance

Hunter Henry #85 of the New England Patriots during practice at Gillette Stadium. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)

Absent: DL Christian Barmore, DB Jonathan Jones, DB Marcus Jones, S Marte Mapu, OLB John Morgan

Limited: TE Hunter Henry

Non-contact jersey: LS Tucker Addington

PUP: WR Kendrick Bourne, LB Sione Takitaki, OL Cole Strange

Notes: Henry walked off the field early in a 7-on-7 period with an apparent lower-body injury and didn’t return. Jonathan Jones missed his first full practice of summer, after sitting out Thursday’s preseason opener and team periods in the prior practice. He ran on a lower conditioning field with Marcus Jones, Bourne, Takitaki and Morgan.

Linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley wore a sleeve over his left arm after having his elbow examined in a practice last week.

Play of the Day

Armon Watts’ interception

Every once in a while, the big fellas get one.

On Sunday, it was Watts, a defensive tackle, who took the field for Drake Maye’s opening snap in a late, 11-on-11 red-zone period. After Anfernee Jennings batted Maye’s pass at the line, Watts looked skyward and spotted the ball. Like a catcher settling under a short pop-up, Watts collected the pass for a pick and fell to the ground with his first turnover of camp.

Player of the Day

WR DeMario Douglas

DeMario Douglas #3 of the New England Patriots during training camp at Gillette Stadium. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)

The best player on the field Sunday.

He got open. He earned his quarterbacks’ trust and rewarded it.

A great day for the kid they call “Pop.”

QB Corner

Note: The passing stats below were tallied during competitive 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 periods only. The stats in parentheses represent the quarterbacks’ camp-long performance.

Jacoby Brissett: 16-of-21, sack (113-of-166 — 68.1%, 4 INTs, 17 sacks)

Drake Maye: 16-of-25, INT (95-of-159 — 59.7%, 5 INTs, 12 sacks)

New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett winds up to pass during an NFL football training camp, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Notes: One of Brissett’s best practices as a Patriot.

After an opening 7-on-7 period featuring two Douglas targets and a checkdown to Rhamondre Stevenson, Brissett went 3-of-4 on a no-huddle drive and fed Douglas again. They connected on two in-breaking routes and a stop route to carry the offense downfield after Matthew Judon batted Brissett’s initial pass down at the line.

Back with the starting group, Brissett ripped three short completions in another hurry-up, 11-on-11 series: tight end Austin Hooper on a shallow cross, Stevenson on a checkdown and Douglas again on another stop route. That led to a 5-of-6 showing in a 7-on-7 period with two completions to Jalen Reagor (including one versus Gonzalez), another to K.J. Osborn and one apiece for tight ends Austin Hooper and Mitchell Wilcox.

With two 11-on-11 periods left, Brissett scrambled, found Tyquan Thornton for consecutive completions and handed-off before a defensive penalty wiped away his last attempt. Now inside the red zone, he finished 2-of-3 with a couple touchdowns; Reagor beating Marco Wilson for a diving, 20-yard catch and Osborn versus Gonzalez on Brissett’s third read of a new play offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt installed that morning.

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As for Maye, his struggles had familiar sources: poor pass protection, some hesitancy in his reads and spotty downfield accuracy. In 7-on-7s, Maye proved more decisive and went 7-of-10, whereas in full-team periods he was 9-of-15 with an interception, one drop and a couple passes batted at the line.

Before Watts scooped up his second batted pass for a pick, reserve safety Dell Pettus failed to pick the first before it touched the ground in 11-on-11s. As for the good: Maye found Ja’Lynn Polk on a pass thrown across his body while rolling left in 11s and later hit backup tight end La’Michael Pettway on a 20-yard corner-route touchdown right after his pick. A bounce-back play.

He also completed his best two-minute drill of camp, starting his last period with 1:21 on the clock. Maye, fronted by a third-string offensive line, surrounded by second-string wideouts and mixed personnel on defense, recorded the following play-by-play: slant completion to Kayshon Boutte, completion to Boutte on a comeback route (negated by holding penalty), incompletion negated by defensive penalty, checkdown to running back Terrell Jennings, completion to Polk on a crosser and curl-route completion to JaMycal Hasty before spiking the ball.

Overall, still uneven and not much change. But that last series? Progress.

Studs

QB Jacoby Brissett

See above.

K Joey Slye

Kicker Joey Slye #13 of the New England Patriots during practice at Gillette Stadium. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)

Slye has all but closed the gap in his position competition with Chad Ryland. He drilled a 54-yard field goal to cap Maye’s final hurry-up drive and then went 3-of-4 in a closing period alternating kicks against Ryland. Slye swung his miss wide left from 49 yards, then followed with another make from 50-plus.

Duds

CB Christian Gonzalez

It bears repeating about Gonzalez: last summer, he didn’t wow in training camp. Then, he shut down some of the world’s best receivers en route to winning Defensive Rookie of the Month last September.

On Sunday, Gonzalez lost all three reps in 1-on-1s and then surrendered three catches during team periods. By any corner’s standards, a down day. But reason to worry in the big picture?

Not yet. .. Probably.

TE Mitchell Wilcox

Wilcox dropped his first target, had a so-so showing in 1-on-1s and finished with a single catch, despite being bumped to the No. 2 tight end in Henry’s absence. Hard to lock up a roster spot that way.

Offensive notes

Foxboro, MA -Patriots right tackle Chukwuma Okorafor on the field during Patriots training camp. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)

Top targets in team drills: WR DeMario Douglas 7/7, WR Jalen Reagor 4/6, WR Ja’Lynn Polk 3/4, WR Kayshon Boutte, RB Antonio Gibson 3/3
1-on-1 receiving drill winners: WR K.J. Osborn, Douglas
1-on-1 receiving drill losers: WR Javon Baker, TE Mitchell Wilcox
Drops: Wilcox
Top offensive line: LT Vederian Lowe, LG Sidy Sow, C David Andrews, RG Mike Onwenu, RT Chukwuma Okorafor

Quarterbacks

Not much from either Joe Milton or Bailey Zappe. Neither quarterback completed a pass in 11-on-11s, with only three attempts between them.
In a 7-on-7 setting, both were limited to a single period and finished 3-of-4.

Running backs

A good overall day for these backs, who suffered far fewer run stuffs in team periods than previous practices. Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson also combined to catch all five targets they saw in team drills.
Stevenson worked exclusively with the starters, while Gibson split his time between the first and second teams more than earlier in camp. He played extensively with Maye, who targeted him three times.
In their preseason opener, the Patriots’ run game had almost an even split between zone-blocked plays and man-blocked schemes (power, counter, duo, etc.). Sunday leaned zone-heavy again, the better scheme fit for Stevenson and Gibson.
Backups JaMycal Hasty had two catches on three targets, while Kevin Harris was a non-factor in the passing game aside from a few sharp reps in 1-on-1 receiving drills.

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Wide receivers

After DeMario Douglas, no receiver had a better day than Jalen Reagor. The former first-round pick went unbeaten in 1-on-1s, won deep and caught a diving touchdown in Brissett’s final period. He finished with four grabs.
Again, K.J. Osborn and Tyquan Thornton started team periods, with Douglas joining them as the third/slot receiver in 11 personnel groupings.
After them, Reagor, Ja’Lynn Polk and either Javon Baker or Kayshon Boutte took the majority of reps.
Another relatively quiet day for Baker, who like Polk, went 1-1 in individual receiving drills because the play died from too many route fakes and/or taking too long to uncover. Growing pains.
Polk, though, continues to lead all wideouts in practices where he records multiple catches during team periods. All three of his catches Sunday came on in-breaking routes, where he’s done his best work.

Tight ends

After Hunter Henry limped off from a 7-on-7 period, Austin Hooper replaced him in the starting unit, which gave Mitchell Wilcox and even seventh-round rookie Jaheim Bell brief time with the starters.
Only Hooper took real advantage, catching both targets from Brissett, including a seam ball. He also beat Jaylinn Hawkins and Brenden Schooler during 1-on-1 receiving/coverage drills.
While Wilcox disappointed, Bell showed reason for promise and growing pains. Like Hooper, he tossed Schooler in 1-on-1 drills, then appeared to run too far on a stick route, where Maye threw behind him incomplete during 7-on-7s. That concept/route teaches tight ends to sit down versus zone coverage, which Bell had. Instead, he kept breaking toward the sideline and later finished 0-of-2 on targets.
Undrafted rookie Jacob Warren grabbed back-to-back Maye passes in one of the final 11-on-11 periods.

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Offensive line

Following the division of labor at left tackle, it’s curious to see Vederian Lowe work a sixth straight practice there after team leadership declared their belief that Chukwuma Okorafor could flip sides after six years in Pittsburgh.
Lowe has now started there longer than any other player in camp. Okorafor spent the first two practices at left tackle, before third-round rookie Caedan Wallace spent the next four in his place and Lowe took over.
Is it over for Okorafor at left tackle? For context, he missed three practices last week, then returned to start right tackle in the preseason opener and stayed there, his career-long position, Sunday.
The Patriots do cross-train their tackles, but the deeper into the summer they go, the more telling their lineups are. Last note on Okorafor: he had a strong showing in 1-on-1 pass rush, with wins over Matthew Judon and Oshane Ximines.
Career swing tackle Calvin Anderson backed Lowe up at left tackle with the second team Sunday, and Wallace worked at right tackle in 11-on-11 periods.
With David Andrews and Nick Leverett settling in as the Pats’ top two centers, ex-CFL and UFL lineman Liam Fornadel snapped for the first time Sunday, replacing Antonio Mafi on the third-team line.
Mafi played left guard, as did fourth-round rookie Layden Robinson, a recent riser.

Defensive notes

Foxboro, MA – Matthew Judon runs through a drill during Patriots training camp. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)

Starting and second-string personnel during team periods: defensive linemen Davon Godchaux, Deatrich Wise, Keion White, Armon Watts, Daniel Ekuale, Trysten Hill, Sam Roberts and Jeremiah Pharms Jr.; linebackers Matt Judon, Jahlani Tavai, Ja’Whaun Bentley, Raekwon McMillan, Josh Uche, Anfernee Jennings, Christian Elliss, Joe Giles-Harris, William Bradley-King and Oshane Ximines; defensive backs Kyle Dugger, Jabrill Peppers, Christian Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones, Alex Austin, Jaylinn Hawkins, Isaiah Bolden, Azizi Hearn, Marco Wilson. Dell Pettus and Brenden Schooler.
Interceptions: Watts
Pass breakups: Judon, Jennings, Giles-Harris
1-on-1 coverage drill winners: Bentley, Pettus
1-on-1 coverage drill losers: Gonzalez, Bolden
Would-be sacks: Dugger

Defensive linemen

No major changes up front: Daniel Ekuale keeps starting next to Davon Godchaux in team periods, with Armon Watts, Trysten Hill and Jeremiah Pharms following them.
Keion White, who’s admitted to experimenting in 1-on-1 pass rush, worked off the edge in that drill Sunday and beat rookie tackle Caedan Wallace.
Deatrich Wise, who notched a sack in his only snap of the preseason opener, split his reps in 1-on-1 pass rush working against left guard Sidy Sow. He also lost to Vederian Lowe.
For now, it’s to see a home for 2022 sixth-round pick Sam Roberts on the roster, with Pharms Jr. and Hill rising up the depth chart.

Linebackers

Foxboro, MA – New England Patriots linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley runs a drill during training camp at Gillette Stadium. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)

Matt Judon was a full participant in all periods, including 1-on-1 pass rush; a notable change. Judon had yet to jump into that drill, one of the most competitive and physical of training camp.
Judon also batted down Brissett’s first pass in 11-on-11s. He continues to start opposite White in base defense.
Ja’Whaun Bentley, who wore a sleeve on his left arm, was also a full participant in all periods, including special teams. He collected an “interception” during 1-on-1 coverage drills, seizing a downfield pass Gibson bobbled and then tapped into the air as they ran up the left sideline.
Backup inside linebacker Joe-Giles Harris continues to be active in passing lanes, batting a Maye pass near the line in 11-on-11s (as did Anfernee Jennings). Giles-Harris may be fighting Christian Elliss, another strong special teams player, for a roster spot.
Preseason star Oshane Ximines had an up-and-down period in 1-on-1 pass rush, but continues to flash off the edge, primarily with a strong speed-to-power move.

Defensive backs

With Jonathan Jones out opposite Gonzalez, Marco Wilson, Alex Austin, Shaun Wade and Isaiah Bolden all ran with the first-team defense for stretches.
Bolden and Wade also took snaps at nickelback, a position Bolden experimented with back in the spring and remains vacated with Marcus Jones (undisclosed injury) still out.
No pass breakups for this group in team periods, a rarity in training camp. Little-known backup Azizi Hearn had the only deflection in 1-on-1s, stopping an underthrown Zappe ball down the left sideline for Tyquan Thornton. He later got burned on a Jalen Reagor deep sideline completion.
The Patriots have split most periods between three-corner and three-safety nickel personnel. With Mapu out, veteran Jaylinn Hawkins looks entrenched as the No. 3 safety behind Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers.

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Special teams

Score one for Joey Slye. The veteran journeyman went 4-of-5 on field goals Sunday, including two makes beyond 50 yards and a miss at 49. Incumbent Chad Ryland was 2-of-4, with both misses beyond 45 yards.
In their final period, both Slye and Ryland contended with their teammates and coaches standing in a half-circle around them, including some who jumped and shouted to distract them while loud music blared.
For the summer, Ryland is 28-of-33 and Slye is 26-of-32 on field goal attempts in practice.
Punt returners: DeMario Douglas, K.J. Osborn, Jalen Reagor, Ja’Lynn Polk, David Wallis
Punt team: P Bryce Baringer, LS Tucker Addington, Brenden Schooler, Jahlani Tavai, Raekwon McMillan, JaMycal Hasty, Jaylinn Hawkins, Mitchell Wilcox, Oshane Ximines, Isaiah Bolden

Extra points

The Patriots will return to practice Monday at 11 a.m., before holding a joint session with the Eagles at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Ex-Patriots special teamer Brandon King attended practice.
Drake Maye was among those signing autographs after the workout.