Quarterback Mac Jones might be the fan favorite, but the defense has been the best unit. A summary of the first week of fully padded practice.
Who Stood Out
Second year defensive tackle Barmore’s goal this year is to get better against the run and he looks to fit the bill. Last season he had 46 tackles, with three being tackles for loss and one and a half of them being sacks. He also had nine quarterback hits.
During training camp this year he’s been dominant. None of the backup offensive linemen can handle him and he’s been the most disruptive player on the field.
He’s technically a backup behind veterans Lawrence Guy and Davon Godchaux but it won’t be too long before he anchors the defensive line.
Undrafted DL LaBryan Ray out of Alabama has been noticeable. He beat most of the backup OL and some of the starters, including veteran Left Tackle Trent Brown during linemen drills.
One of the offense’s best plays of the day was only because Ray had to give up before sacking Jones, as most of the drills have been partial contact.
As the cornerback getting the most reps opposite Jalen Mills, Terrance Mitchell has been impressive. He has multiple interceptions of Jones and is always the first player on the field. This is someone who won’t lose this opportunity with a fight.
Who Disappointed
The offense still has a lot of work to do. Communication has been bad and blocking has been awful. Multiple times the QB’s have had to give up on plays with a throw-away. They even had to go back to first week walkthroughs for more teaching.
Jones and tight end Hunter Henry have acknowledged the struggles but they have a more positive view than most. Hunter sees the improvement, even if it’s been hard to find. Jones also mentioned how there are better days ahead and how there has been experimentation with the new offense.
Injuries
Keene as one of the most likely candidates to be cut, missing a week like this could be the end of his time in New England. Especially since he wasn’t able to make much of a difference when former Patriot Rob Gronkowski left.
Veteran linebacker Jahlani Tavai went down with a non-contact injury to his right leg, but it could also be cramps from the hot days of summer.
Veteran backup QB Brian Hoyer missed most of the week because of injury, giving rookie Bailey Zappe plenty of opportunities to shine. Although he did return later in the week as a limited participant.
Rookie running back Pierre Strong Jr. also was injured for most of the week before returning as a limited participant.
Other Takeaways
Jennings has shown more promise as a defensive end than a stand up linebacker. His 6-foot-3 and 259 pound body gives him the size to handle the line when they line up in a 4-3 formation.
Chicago Bears 2020 7th round pick Arlington Hambright has elevated as one of the first choice backup linemen. Multiple times he was lined up with the starters.
Mike Onwenu seemed to be the only OL who could handle Barmore. While he had his losses, he also had his wins over the dominant lineman.
Jakobi Meyers is one of the best route runners in football. His numbers don’t always pop off the screen, which is why his elite route running ability gets overshadowed by the more talented wide receivers.
Zappe has taken advantage of the Hoyer absence by getting rid of the ball quickly, and usually with accuracy.
Make sure to continue to follow the Patriots here at Gridiron Heroics, here’s an article going over the first week of training camp.