FOXBORO — Arrive early and stay late.

That was Drake Maye’s approach in the Patriots rookie quarterback’s first training camp practice. Maye walked up the stairs adjacent to Gillette Stadium 16 minutes early for the 11 a.m. scheduled practice, put on his helmet, jogged to the middle of the field and got to work taking snaps from backup offensive lineman Atonio Mafi.

Maye finished practice going 6-of-10 in team drills and 2-of-4 in 11-on-11s. He also made the offensive play of the day during a team drill and overall asserted himself well in a quarterback competition that could last all the way up to Week 1 when the Patriots play the Bengals.

The UNC product is currently second on the Patriots’ quarterback depth chart behind Jacoby Brissett, which is not unexpected. Head coach Jerod Mayo told reporters Tuesday that Brissett was, for now, the Patriots’ starter. But Mayo also left the door open for Maye to start Week 1 if he can outplay Brissett this summer in training camp and the preseason.

For now, everything is scripted by coaches.

“It’s pre-planned. Every rep is pre-planned until we get into the live-action type of stuff where it’s unscripted, but look, he’ll have his opportunities,” Mayo said. “So will Joe [Milton], so will Zapp [Bailey Zappe] and obviously, Jacoby. He’s our starter at this point. So, he’ll have ample opportunity to go out there and prove himself.”

After an extended warmup period that first saw the Patriots stretch as a team and then had offensive skill players, including QBs, continue to stretch and jog on their own on the right side of the practice field in the near corner, Maye was actually working behind Brissett and Zappe during individual drills. First, the QBs took long stride backpedals, then they threw into nets — Maye was 1-of-2. Next, they took turns throwing to team staffers tossing to the right and middle and then to the left and middle before their next individual drill had them rolling out to throw to their left. The quarterbacks then pushed down to the far side where they would hand off to a running back, roll to the right, catch a ball from a staffer and then throw to the right.

Quarterbacks threw to running backs, worked on play-action throws to running backs and then threw to tight ends in their next series of individual drills. Two quarterbacks would work concurrently, one throwing to the left and the other to the right. In order, they went Brissett and Zappe, Maye and Brissett, Milton and Maye, and then Zappe and Milton. That order continued when quarterbacks threw to wide receivers in the next period.

Maye had two notable incompletions during those individual drills with wideouts. One was an accurate pass that rookie wide receiver Javon Baker dropped, and the other was too long on a deep throw to speedy veteran wide receiver Jalen Reagor.

Maye made up for that one later.

Related Articles

Vote: How many wins will the Patriots get this year?

Does Matthew Judon want to be traded amid Patriots contract dispute? ‘Hell no’

Patriots’ Matthew Judon opens up about contract, will play on current deal

Patriots training camp preview 2024: Bold predictions, breakout players and cut candidates

Kendrick Bourne among five Patriots players to start training camp on reserve lists

Only Brissett and Maye received reps during the Patriots’ first 11-on-11 session. Brissett was 2-of-3 with an interception in the first team drills of training camp. His pick came on a throw to wide receiver K.J. Osborn that was broken up and tipped up by cornerback Jonathan Jones — a standout on Day 1 — and grabbed out of the air by safety Kyle Dugger.

Maye was 2-of-2 with a check-down completion to running back Rhamondre Stevenson, a scramble that likely would have been a sack in a fully competitive contest, two handoffs to running back Kevin Harris and a completion to JuJu Smith-Schuster, running a crossing route on a play-action bootleg.

Linemen then departed as the rest of the offensive and defense worked on 7-on-7 team drills. Brissett again led things off by going 5-of-6. His lone incompletion was broken up by Jones on a pass to rookie wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk. Brissett’s best play of the day came on a completion to tight end Austin Hooper, who was running a seam route and dove for a catch with safety Marte Mapu in coverage. Brissett also had completions to wide receiver Tyquan Thornton, Polk, running back JaMycal Hasty and another connection with Hooper.

Maye was 4-of-6 in the Patriots’ lone 7-on-7s session with short completions to tight ends La’Michael Pettway and Mitchell Wilcox and Harris. The rookie QB’s best play of the day was a deep ball to Reagor that the speedy wideout hauled in one-handed and kept running past undrafted rookie cornerback Azizi Hearn for a would-be touchdown.

Drake Maye and Jalen Reagor delivering today’s Play of the Day: pic.twitter.com/9ulO8Yyq5M

— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) July 24, 2024

Maye’s incompletions came on a pass breakup by cornerback Isaiah Bolden on a throw to wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and another to Polk.

Zappe then went 2-of-3, and Milton was 3-of-3 in 7-on-7s.

The Patriots collected again for 11-on-11s with Brissett going 3-of-4 with completions to Stevenson, Reagor and Thornton and a drop by Harris. Brissett also handed off to Harris and Stevenson.

Maye was 0-of-2 in his second 11-on-11 session which started with Maye scrambling up the middle for a big gain. He fumbled his next snap from center Nick Leverett. The offense recovered. Maye was incomplete on a deep cross to Polk in double coverage and missed badly on a throw at wide receiver Kayshon Boutte’s feet.

Zappe finished off the competitive part of practice going 1-of-2 with a completion to Reagor and a pass broken up by Hearn against Baker.

The Patriots finished with a non-competitive two-minute drill before the entire team ran sprints down the hill at the far end of the left practice field.

Overall, Brissett was 10-of-13 with an interception, Maye was 6-of-10, Zappe was 3-of-5 and Milton was 3-of-3. In 11-on-11s, Brissett was 5-of-7, Maye was 2-of-4 and Zappe was 1-of-2.

“He’s doing a good job, and he’s coming to work every single day. Obviously, they got here a little earlier than us, but he did a great job in the spring. He does a great job in the meetings, and he’s learning a lot. He has a great vet in Jacoby in the room. He has some great coaches around him in AVP (offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt) and (quarterbacks coach) TC (McCartney), a lot of guys that are putting good things in his head, teaching him a lot of things, and a lot of things he can bounce off those guys to help.”

Maye was the last player off the field before signing autographs for fans and then walking back down the steps for more work and meetings.