Drake Maye headlines New England Patriots players to watch at this week's mandatory minicamp
FOXBORO -- The Patriots' offseason program will kick into another gear this week, as players are now required to participate. New England will kick off its first mandatory minicamp under head coach Jerod Mayo on Monday behind Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots have minicamp sessions scheduled for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, as the team will hit the field for one final week of workouts ahead of training camp next month. Mayo will chat with reporters around 11:30 a.m. on Monday, and practice will kick off at 11:45 a.m. on the practice field behind Gillette Stadium.
Mayo and his staff have been working hard with players at OTAs to install and integrate the new system in New England, and coaches have been pleased with the results thus far. Now that the full squad is expected to be there this week, the Patriots should get some real solid work in before things really start to ratchet up when training camp kicks off at the end of July.
Here are the players we'll be keeping a close eye on throughout this week's mandatory minicamp in Foxboro.
Drake Maye
He is the most important player in the franchise now, so of course we'll be watching every throw and every stepback by the rookie quarterback. Maye had been taking snaps after starter Jacoby Brissett and Bailey Zappe in OTAs, but was the No. 2 guy behind Brissett in last week's session that was open to reporters.
While he threw a pair of picks in that session, getting bumped up to No. 2 is a sign of Maye's growth this spring/summer. We'll see if that continues this week, as Maye gets another chance to build even more momentum heading into his first NFL training camp next month.
Joe Milton II
Milton is an intriguing player to watch because of his booming arm, but we'll be watching to see if the sixth-round pick can beat out Zappe to be the team's third-string quarterback. Mayo has said that he would like to get the QB group down to three ahead of training camp, so this could be Milton's -- and Zappe's -- last chance to make his case..
Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker
The hope (and hype) is high for New England's two rookie receivers, so we'll be keeping a close eye on their chemistry with both Brissett and Maye throughout the summer.
Polk had showed some good hands during OTAs during individual drills but struggled in team drills. Baker made some flashy plays early but was a bit inconsistent in recent weeks, and he was limited last Tuesday. We'll see if he's healthy enough to take the field for minicamp.
With a crowded crop of receivers, the rookies won't be under too much pressure to deliver early in their careers. But early breakouts from either would be a welcome development for the Patriots offense.
The Offensive Line
Outside of David Andrews anchoring the group at center and Mike Onwenu doing his thing at right tackle, there is a lot of unknown along the New England offensive line.
Veteran Chukwuma Okorafor is taking over at left tackle, but he hasn't protected a quarterback's blind side regularly since his college days. When he was out last week, it was veteran Calvin Anderson taking over on the left side of the offensive line. Rookie Caedan Wallace moved to right tackle last week, but the Pats believe he also has what it takes to play left tackle in the NFL.
How things play out at left tackle will be something to monitor all summer.
Sidy Sow is likely locked in at right guard after a solid showing last season, but we'll see who fills the void at left guard with Cole Strange out with an injury. Fourth-round pick Layden Robinson is another guy to keep an eye on this summer, as is second-year guard Atonio Mafi.
Matthew Judon
Judon skipped all open OTAs but he's expected to be there Monday now that attendance is mandatory. Not only will we be looking to see how Judon looks after missing most of last season with a biceps injury, but we'll be looking to see if the quarter hunter and the Patriots can make any headway on a new deal as he enters the final year of his contract.
Judon is one of the best players the Patriots have, and he'll come at a bargain price tag of $7.5 million for the upcoming season after his deal was reworked last year. We'll see if his number gets reworked into a long-term deal over the next few weeks or months.
Christian Gonzalez
Gonzalez was an absolute stud as New England's top corner before his season ended just four games into his rookie campaign due to a torn labrum. He was back on the field for OTAs, lining right back up as the team's top corner.
Marte Mapu
With Adrian Phillips and Jalen Mills no longer part of the mix, Mapu could find himself as New England's third safety behind Kyle Dugger and Jabril Peppers. The hybrid linebacker played well in the box but struggled when he had to go deep, so his development will be an important storyline to follow this summer.
Alex Austin
Signed off the Texans practice squad last November, Austin has turned heads as a talented corner in New England. The former seventh-round pick was getting snaps across from Gonzo as the Patriots' No. 2 corner when veteran Jonathan Jones wasn't present during OTA sessions.
Chad Ryland
This is a big summer for Ryland after he struggled as New England's kicker throughout his rookie season and connected on just 16 of his 25 field goal attempts. He has some competition in camp after the team signed veteran Joey Slye.
