Patriots’ No. 3 pick QB Drake Maye wraps up first taste of NFL workouts at rookie camp
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — New England quarterback Drake Maye’s day at rookie mini-camp wasn’t done, not by a long shot.
The No. 3 pick in the NFL Draft was just getting started after wrapping up practice on Saturday. After all, Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said Maye was at the team facility “all night” on Friday.
“We’ll be here ‘til 7, 8, 9 o’clock. Go in for a lift, then we have some meetings,” said Maye after practice behind Gillette Stadium. “The best thing about mini-camp is being around the guys for the first time. We’re at the hotel together. We’re right across the hallway from each other, so we’ll watch the film and look at the scripts for the next day together.
“We’ve got nothing else to do up here. Why not focus on football?”
The laser focus has already rubbed off on fellow rookies, including wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk, who was drafted one round after Maye.
“Guy can sling it. Very confident and vocal. He’s a leader,” Polk said. “He’s setting the tone in practice, trying to get guys moving around and operating at a high level. This is new to all of us. We’re still learning and trying to get to know each other so everybody can get on the same page.”
At one point Saturday, Maye was under center with Polk lined up to his left with two more rookie receivers – one drafted (Javon Baker) and undrafted (David Wallis) – lined up to his right. There wasn’t live contact or a pash rush to anticipate. But for Maye, it’s about soaking up as much knowledge as possible.
At times during practice, Maye talked with Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. He also chatted with quarterbacks coach T.C. McCartney and offensive assistant coach Ben McAdoo, who has been around his share of top-flight quarterbacks — namely Eli Manning with the New York Giants and Aaron Rodgers with the Green Bay Packers.
“T.C. is talking to us during the meetings. Coach Van Pelt will chime in when he needs to. Coach (McAdoo) is awesome. All three of them know a lot of football,” Maye said.
Focusing on fundamentals, namely footwork, is a priority for Maye since arriving in New England.
“I’m trying out two new stances that I’m getting used to. Just getting more reps at it,” Maye said. “Footwork is huge. It’s something that’s not easy.”
The learning curve after playing in North Carolina will include becoming familiar with the region’s weather patterns. Practice featured a gusty breeze, a possible preview of coming attractions when November and December roll around.
“He has a lot to work on, but I have no doubt that he will put the time in,” Mayo said.
NOTES:
The Patriots are going with Eliot Wolf to stock their roster after two decades of Bill Belichick in charge. The team named Wolf the executive vice president of player personnel on Saturday. That formalizes the arrangement that’s been in place since Belichick was fired. Wolf will control the 53-man roster and manage the salary cap. Owner Robert Kraft said he wanted to observe the relationship between Wolf and coach Mayo before making it formal. Wolf is the son of Hall of Famer Ron Wolf, the former Packers general manager. Eliot Wolf has worked 20 seasons with Green Bay, Cleveland and the Patriots. He spent the last two seasons as New England’s director of scouting.
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