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Patriots practice takeaways: New offensive line debuts with rookie starter, position switch in practice
FOXBORO — At last, Patriots top-paid offensive lineman Mike Onwenu moved back to right tackle in Thursday’s practice.
All it took was four weeks of training camp and three injuries to bump Onwenu from starting right guard to starting right tackle.
The Patriots’ full top offensive line in practice was Chukwuma Okorafor at left tackle, Sidy Sow at left guard, David Andrews at center, rookie Layden Robinson at right guard and Onwenu at tackle.
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An oblique injury suffered by Vederian Lowe, who had previously been the team’s top left tackle, in practice Wednesday necessitated the move. They did have the option of sliding rookie Caedan Wallace in at left tackle. Instead, they preferred to keep Wallace as a backup, move Okorafor from from right tackle to left tackle, push Onwenu from right guard to right tackle and promote Robinson, a late-camp standout, into a starting role.
Elsewhere at practice, rookie Drake Maye took more reps with the first-team offensive line, an undrafted rookie made two standout plays, and a winner continues to emerge in the kicking battle in the non-padded session.
Attendance
Returned: CB Shaun Wade
Absent: DT Christian Barmore, TE Mitchell Wilcox
Non-participant: TE Hunter Henry, S Marte Mapu, OLB Josh Uche, OT Calvin Anderson, DT Armon Watts, OLB Oshane Ximines, OT Vederian Lowe
Limited: LB Jahlani Tavai
PUP: WR Kendrick Bourne, LB Sione Takitaki, OL Cole Strange
Notes: Tavai ran sprints during some of the 11-on-11 drills … Henry, Mapu, Anderson, Takitaki and Bourne worked on conditioning during the session away from the rest of the team … Lowe was present for the end of practice but didn’t wear any pads and simply observed full-team sessions after suffering an oblique injury Thursday. A third tackle, Tyrone Wheatley Jr., is already on injured reserve. All of the injuries left Okorafor, Onwenu, Wallace, Kellen Diesch and Zuri Henry as the team’s only tackles … Wade was limited in Thursday’s practice but was back to being a full participant on Thursday … Watts was a new non-participant after being involved in 11-on-11s during Wednesday’s session … Linebacker Raekwon McMillan shed the red non-contact jersey that he wore during Wednesday’s practice.
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: N/A (161-of-246 — 65.4%, 6 INTs, 28 sacks)
Drake Maye: N/A (143-of-229 — 62.4%, 5 INTs, 21 sacks)
Patriots quarterbacks Drake Maye and Jacoby Brissett (14) take snaps as the Patriots practice Thursday outside Gillette Stadium. (Staff Photo/Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)
Notes: Practice mimicked a regular-season session, which meant there were minimal reps when the top offense went against the top defense. Instead, the top offense and defense matched up against the scout team, imitating the Commanders and working off of cards as the Patriots get prepared for their preseason finale against Washington.
Brissett started off every drill and took 25 total snaps, including handoffs and a spike. Maye took 26 total snaps, including a QB sneak to set up a field goal. Of those 26 snaps, six came with the starting offensive line, all of which came a turn after Brissett. Otherwise, Maye worked with the second-team offense as he continues to look like Brissett’s backup. Bailey Zappe and rookie quarterback Joe Milton mimicked the Commanders in scout team roles working off of cards.
Brissett completed 12-of-15 passes, going 10-of-11 in 11-on-11s and 2-of-4 in 7-on-7s, but given the nature of practice, those reps were not as competitive as training camp full-team drills.
Brissett completed a deep corner route to wide receiver Jalen Reagor over top cornerback Christian Gonzalez in an early 11-on-11 session. Reagor made two more nice catches from Brissett during a two-minute drill late in practice, laying out to catch two balls on curl routes. Brissett was nearly picked off on a target to tight end Jaheim Bell in 7-on-7s broken up by safety Dell Pettus. Brissett was off on a throw to wide receiver DeMario Douglas later in practice, throwing behind the undersized slot receiver.
Maye completed 12-of-16 passes with an interception, going 7-of-10 with the interception in 11-on-11s and 5-of-6 in 7-on-7s.
Defensive tackle Trysten Hill picked off Maye on a tip drill late in practice during 11-on-11s. Bell didn’t seem to see Maye’s ball coming, and the throw was broken up by Pettus, tipped in the air and then picked off by Hill, who went rumbling down the field. Maye was mostly accurate but did overthrow wide receiver K.J. Osborn down field after a pump fake in 7-on-7s.
Zappe gave the defense a better look, running the scout team, going 11-of-12 overall, 7-of-7 in 11-on-11s and 4-of-5 in 7-on-7s. Milton was 6-of-9, going 4-of-5 in 11-on-11s and 2-of-4 in 7-on-7s.
Studs
WR Jalen Reagor
Reagor made the three best catches of Thursday’s practice, hauling in a deep corner route from Brissett and laying out for two balls on curl routes during a two-minute drill. Reagor is still fighting for a roster spot in a crowded wide receiver room. But he appears to be the Patriots’ top backup behind Tyquan Thornton in the “X” role. He could also be a dangerous option on kick returns.
Patriots wide receivers Ja’Lynn Polk, left, and Jalen Reagor work on a new handshake during training camp on July 24. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald)
S Dell Pettus
Head coach Jerod Mayo said this week that Pettus is pushing for a roster spot. He was also singled out by a team source as a late training camp standout. Pettus caused an interception and another near-pick with two pass breakups in scout team work. There’s a path for Pettus to make the team behind starters Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers, backup Jaylinn Hawkins and special-teams ace Brenden Schooler if 2023 third-round pick Marte Mapu starts the season on injured reserve. Pettus is battling with Joshuah Bledsoe for a roster spot.
Duds
TE Jaheim Bell
Bell was the targeted receiver on both of Pettus’ pass breakups. Seeing an increased role with Henry and Wilcox being held out of practice, Bell did catch one pass from Maye in 11-on-11s.
CB Marcus Jones
Jones, primarily working out of the slot, allowed three catches against the scout team offense. Milton completed a pass to undrafted rookie David Wallis against Jones in 7-on-7 work. Zappe completed a deep ball to Wallis against Jones and another pass to tight end La’Michael Pettway in 11-on-11s.
Offensive notes
This was the longest practice of summer at two hours and 24 minutes.
The top offense consisted of Brissett, Okorafor, Sow, Andrews, Robinson, Onwenu, Douglas, Thornton and tight end Austin Hooper. Rookie Ja’Lynn Polk and Osborn rotated in the third wide receiver spot.
Polk led Patriots receivers in catches and targets, catching 6-of-7 passes with a drop.
Other top receivers included Reagor (4-of-4) and running back Rhamondre Stevenson (4-of-4).
Wide receiver Matt Landers, who was claimed off waivers from the Browns this week, caught 3-of-3 passes while working on the scout team. He has intriguing size and speed at 6-foot-4, 200 pounds and a 4.37-second 40-yard dash.
Rookie wide receiver Javon Baker was targeted just once, catching a pass from Maye in 11-on-11 work.
Wallace took snaps at both left and right tackle as a backup.
Backup guard Michael Jordan continued to work as a sixth offensive lineman/extra tight end in jumbo packages.
Liam Fornadel muffed a snap to Zappe in scout-team work as the Patriots continue to work through issues in their backup center spots.
Defensive notes
No major surprises in the Patriots’ starting defensive grouping with Davon Godchaux and Daniel Ekuale at defensive tackle, Anfernee Jennings and Keion White on the edge, Ja’Whaun Bentley and Jahlani Tavai at linebacker, Jonathan Jones, Marcus Jones and Christian Gonzalez at cornerback and Jabrill Peppers and Kyle Dugger at safety.
Among the top backups: defensive tackles Trysten Hill and Jeremiah Pharms Jr., edge defenders Deatrich Wise and William Bradley-King, linebackers Joe Giles-Harris and Christian Elliss, cornerbacks Shuan Wade, Alex Austin, Isaiah Bolden and Marco Wilson, and safeties Jaylinn Hawkins, Joshuah Bledsoe and Dell Pettus.
Pettus and Austin had pass breakups.
Hill had the only interception.
White, Hill and Pharms had sacks against the scout team offense.
Jennings and Pharms brought pressure in 11-on-11 work against the scout team offense.
The defense had to take a lap during an 11-on-11 drill with Milton leading the scout team offense for some pre-snap issues.
Patriots defensive end Keion White (99), defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr., left, and defensive tackle Jeremiah Pharms Jr. take instructions as the Patriots practice Thursday. (Staff Photo/Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)
Special teams
In the kicker battle, Joey Slye went 3-of-4 with makes from 32, 37 and 49 yards and miss wide right from 37 yards. Chad Ryland was 3-of-5 with makes from 32 yards, 42 yards and 47 yards. His misses were from 37 yards wide right and 49 yards wide right. The 47-yarder from Ryland was made through a skinny goal post after an 11-on-11 drill.
So far, Slye is winning the kicker battle, going 43-of-52, while Ryland is 39-of-52, per the Sports Hub’s Alex Barth.
Top kickoff unit: Wilson, Javon Baker, Kobe Jones, Tavai, Elliss, Schooler, McMillan, Bradley-King, running back JaMycal Hasty and Bolden.
Top punt unit: punter Bryce Baringer, long snapper Joe Cardona, McMillan, Tavai, Elliss, Giles-Harris, Bledsoe, Hasty, Hawkins as the personal punt protector and Schooler and rookie cornerback Marcellas Dial as gunners. The top backup gunners were Javon Baker and Wilson.
Punt returners: Marcus Jones, Douglas, Reagor, Polk, Wallis and Osborn.
Extra points
The Patriots will practice one more time in front of reporters on Friday at 11 a.m. ET. Head coach Jerod Mayo will speak to reporters before practice at 10:30 a.m.