Patriots training camp stock watch: Who is rising and falling ahead of preseason opener?
Mac Jones, Demario Douglas, and Marte Mapu have all impressed so far during training camp.
FOXBOROUGH — With 12 full-squad practices now in the books, we’re finally starting to see a bit of separation amid a few of the more competitive segments of the 2023 Patriots roster.
As the Patriots brace themselves for their preseason opener against the Texans on Thursday night, here’s a look at who is rising and falling on New England’s depth chart through the first few two weeks of training camp.
STOCK UP
QB Mac Jones
There are plenty of questions surrounding New England’s offense, especially when it comes to the state of the team’s offensive line.
But Jones’ own play — and his standing on the depth chart — has not been an issue so far during training camp. For all of the talk surrounding a potential QB competition between Jones and backup Bailey Zappe during camp, that hasn’t translated as far as the allocation of reps between both signal callers.
Jones has earned a majority of snaps with New England’s expected top offensive weapons like JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker and Hunter Henry, while Zappe has primarily operated with New England’s backups.
As noted by MassLive’s Mark Daniels, Jones has completed 68% (99-of-146) of his passes in competitive team drills through the first 11 practices, while Zappe has completed 59% (86-of-145).
Bill O’Brien’s influence as New England’s OC has already been felt, with Jones and the Patriots utilizing plenty of pre-snap reads and different formations during their competitive drills, leading to a marked improvement in the team’s offense from what we first saw in the early days of camp.
Jones so far is looking like an established quarterback in the NFL ranks — rather than the rudderless signal caller who couldn’t find any traction in last year’s dysfunctional offense.
WR Demario Douglas
No player has elevated their stock more than Douglas, who was once viewed as being on the outside looking in at meaningful reps in 2023.
But the Patriots’ 2023 sixth-round pick has arguably been New England’s most dependable playmaker so far during camp. He first put himself on the media’s radar by primarily working with Jones and the first-team unit during early drills, with those reps translating to tangible production.
MassLive’s Mark Daniels tweeted on Tuesday that Douglas is the current leader in receptions so far during camp with 23 — more than other established talents like Smith-Schuster (21) and Henry (21).
An explosive athlete and crisp route-runner, Douglas has torched his teammates so far during 1v1 drills, with the former Liberty University standout yet to lose a rep against a defensive back.
His 5-foot-8 frame does raise some concerns about his durability, but Douglas has doled out some heavy blocks during drills, and has been tough to bring down during live-tackling situations. He doesn’t seem like the type of player to shy away from contact.
Add in his added special-teams reps, and Douglas sure seems like a lock to make the 53-man roster next month. New England might have another late-round steal on its hands.
LB Marte Mapu
A standout talent during New England’s minicamp, the 2023 third-round pick has continued to shine as a featured contributor on New England’s first-team defense.
Even though he saw looks at both safety and linebacker earlier this offseason, he has earned most of his snaps with New England’s other top LBs like Ja’Whaun Bentley and Mack Wilson during camp.
He still needs to shed his non-contact jersey (a result of surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle in February), but Mapu’s speed, instincts, and awareness have stood out during competitive drills.
TE Hunter Henry
Mac Jones’ most reliable red-zone target in 2021 seems primed for a bounce-back season.
After spending most of last offseason rehabbing from shoulder surgery, Henry had the opportunity to train extensively this spring and even dropped some weight. It’s easy to spot the difference in competitive drills, as Henry has routinely reeled in tough throws from Mac Jones and has done plenty of damage in red-zone situations.
Henry figures to be a big piece in New England’s offense in 2023, although his impact could be negated if O’Brien has to allocate more blocking duties in order to account for a lackluster O-line.
WR DeVante Parker
For all of the talk of New England whiffing on a proven No. 1 wideout in DeAndre Hopkins, Parker seems to be embracing the challenge of being Jones’ go-to deep threat in 2023.
When healthy, Parker can be an effective pass-catching threat (539 yards over 13 games in 2022), especially when using his 6-foot-3, 219-pound frame to reel in tough catches in tight coverage.
Time and time again this camp, Parker has drawn cheers from the crowds at the practice fields after hauling in catches along the sidelines and in the end zone — even with defensive backs usually draped across him.
Jones isn’t necessarily a QB whose game revolves around the deep ball, but a healthy and engaged Parker gives the Patriots’ offense a much-needed element as an outside threat.
WR Kayshon Boutte
It wasn’t the best start for Boutte during his short time up in the NFL ranks so far, with the former five-star recruit out of LSU limited during minicamp and failing to make much of an impact during competitive drills.
But over the last week, Boutte has seemingly made the most of his reps, especially in wake of Tyquan Thornton getting relegated to more second-team work with Zappe.
The 21-year-old receiver has continued to stack good days in camp with a few standout segments, including a nifty one-handed snag off a high throw from Malik Cunningham on Monday.
It remains to be seen where exactly Boutte factors into what looks like a pretty crowded receiver room. But give credit where it’s due. The rookie is making a push and taking advantage of the added snaps the coaches are giving him.
LB Josh Uche
Let’s face it, we can give any number of players in New England’s front seven on defense the nod here. And given the state of the Patriots’ O-line, just about any accomplished pass rusher (Matt Judon) or physical force up front (Christian Barmore) has consistently done some damage during competitive drills.
But we’ll give a tip of the cap to Uche, who continues to find himself in the backfield whenever the ball is snapped. Ahead of a potentially huge payday, the fourth-year pass rusher seems poised to build off of his 11.5-sack season in 2022.
CB Jonathan Jones
He’s missed some of last few practices, but one of the elder statesmen of New England’s secondary has been effective whenever he’s been on the field. The strides made by younger players like rookie Christian Gonzalez and second-year corner Jack Jones could have pushed Jonathan Jones back to his usual spot at slot corner.
But so far, Jonathan Jones has more than held his own matching up against top wideouts on the boundary during camp.
STOCK STEADY
WR Kendrick Bourne
Had we released this list a few days ago, Bourne likely would have found himself on the “stock dropping” list, given that the 28-year-old seemed to be largely phased out of the Patriots’ first-team offense during passing situations.
Granted, he has started to come on as of late with a few nifty snags during competitive reps. Bourne was one of Mac Jones’ most dependable receiving threats in 2021, when he totaled 800 yards and five touchdowns. A similar result in 2023 would do wonders for a Patriots offense looking to right the ship.
TE Mike Gesicki
Much like Bourne, Gesicki — one of New England’s top free-agent pickups — likely would have been much further down on our list if we were looking at the first week-plus of camp.
But after failing to make much of an impact early on, the 27-year-old tight end has started to form a solid rapport with Jones. After reeling in a one-handed catch from Jones during a 7v7 segment on Sunday, Gesicki had the catch of camp so far on Tuesday with a one-handed touchdown catch with Jabrill Peppers all over him in coverage.
“It’s pretty impressive. I got a decent view so I’m excited to watch that on film,” Hunter Henry said of Gesicki’s catch. “I mean, it’s who he is. It’s what he does. It’s what he’s done in this league. That was a big time play.”
CB Jack Jones
Jack Jones is a tough player to gauge here. In terms of on-the-field production, his coverage skills and ball-hawk instincts are evident. He’s been a pain in both Mac Jones and Zappe’s sides all camp, recording at least five pass break-ups during drills.
But whether it be his looming legal issues or his incident last Thursday where it looked like he stormed off the practice field, Jones’ availability and maturity remains a major concern.
He has all of the talent in place to be an effective starting corner up in the NFL ranks. It remains to be seen if he’s actually going to get the green light to get those opportunities.
STOCK DROPPING
New England’s tackles
Trent Brown’s return can’t come soon enough.
New England’s offensive line has generally been a mess during camp, leading to the Patriots’ defense recording at least five “sacks” in each of the last three full-squad practices.
Injuries to Cole Strange and Mike Onwenu have severely hindered the interior of New England’s O-line. But with Brown still working his way back from a lingering ailment, the Patriots’ remaining tackles have not exactly inspired confidence.
Be it veteran free-agent pickup Riley Reiff or Conor McDermot, Mac Jones has faced plenty of pressure whenever New England’s tackles have faced heat on the outside.
Jones might be in line for a standout season, especially with O’Brien running the show on offense. But all of the strides made on offense this preseason won’t matter all that much if Jones spends a majority of the team’s drives slammed into the turf.
WR Tyquan Thornton
Thornton’s straight-line speed and shiftiness played a major role in why New England opted to select the former TCU standout in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
But concerns over his frame (6-foot-2, 185 pounds) have yet to subside during camp, with the 23-year-old receiver still struggling to gain that much traction during competitive drills. After missing minicamp due to a soft-tissue injury, Thornton’s targets so far in camp have led to a fair share of pass breakups and other lackluster results.
The talent is there, but Thornton’s struggles with getting himself open, staying healthy, and fighting through contact are raising questions as to whether or not he can carve out a featured role on this offense.
CB Marcus Jones
Jones is expected to do plenty of damage this season on special teams. But so far, his results as New England’s slot corner have been more of a mixed bag. At 5-foot-8, Jones is not expected to be a dependable option on the boundary. But the speedster has also been burned plenty of times in short-yardage and 1v1 situations against players like Demario Douglas.
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