Patriots training camp turns the page to the real heat of the summer with padded practices beginning on Monday, but first, New England's wide receiver room had one last showcase in Sunday's helmets and shells session at Gillette Stadium.
In early camp practices, the unpadded sessions spotlight the skill positions. With very little contact to slow down the receivers, there's less resistance to creating separation. On the one hand, you have to take these unpadded practices with a grain of salt: NFL-caliber receivers should be able to separate with minimal contact. However, it's still a good time to get a feel for the depth chart, specific roles, and bubble players competing for a roster spot.
Along those lines, the camp battle at wide receiver is one of the top storylines for the Patriots this summer. Based on the first four practices, nine receivers seem to be competing for five or six roster spots. The wildcard, of course, is veteran Kendrick Bourne's availability as he recovers from a torn ACL that Bourne suffered midway through the 2023 season.
Bourne participated in stretching for the first time in camp on Sunday, but it was a very brief appearance as the 28-year-old departed to the conditioning field. As we've gone over many times, if Bourne begins the season on the physically unable to perform list, that opens a roster spot for one of the receivers on the bubble, so Bourne's health is significant for those competing for the final few spots in practice.
As for those who are participating in practice, the Patriots have prioritized getting reps for rookies Javon Baker and Ja'Lynn Polk, K.J. Osborn, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jalen Reagor, Tyquan Thornton, and Kayshon Boutte. Baker and Polk are roster locks as early-round draft picks, while second-year receiver DeMario Douglas and Bourne are secure, creating a bubble of Osborn, Smith-Schuster, Reagor, Thornton, and Boutte.
With several Patriots receivers speaking to the media after practice, we'll use the final day of unpadded practices as a springboard to discuss how they've looked so far in camp. Along with battling for roster spots, there are questions about talent level in the room. According to one ranking, New England's pass catchers are the worst group (32nd) in the NFL.
"On the rookie's Instagram, it said 32 out of 32 receivers. Yeah, I don't think they're happy with it, so what does that tell you about us vets? When they say 32 out of 32, I don't like that." Douglas told reporters. "If the younger guys feel that way, it's going to do nothing but motivate us."
There are internal battles to document in the Patriots receiver room, but the group must also prove the chatter externally wrong. It remains to be seen if they have the receiver talent to shut down the naysayers, but the competition is already on full tilt as roles start to declare.
Here's a thought on the wide receivers competing for roster spots through four camp practices:
1. DeMario Douglas Discusses Limited Participation Due to Left Hand Injury
During a press conference earlier this week, head coach Jerod Mayo indicated that Douglas, the Patriots leading receiver last season, is dealing with a minor injury that Douglas confirmed is to his left hand. Pop said he suffered the injury before training camp and doesn't expect to miss significant practice time due to the ailment.
"I'm good, but we want to make sure that everything is good before I go out there," Douglas said.
The Pats second-year wideout hasn't participated in team drills yet this summer, but he has taken part in positional drills and has fielded punts and kickoffs. For a player dealing with a hand injury, it's a good sign that Pop is catching passes and kicks against air. During competitive periods, he has been seen off to the side running sprints to stay ready.
As the offense goes through growing pains with new players learning a totally different offensive system, it's also worth noting that Douglas and Bourne, two of their top wideouts, aren't participating fully in practice. That's not to say they're saviors, but the duo would help even the playing field against an excellent Patriots defense.
2. Fourth-Round WR Javon Baker Stars in Sunday's Practice Session
The Patriots hope they drafted two receivers who can contribute immediately: second-round pick Ja'Lynn Polk and fourth-rounder Javon Baker. So far, the Pats rookies have been as advertised, with Polk being a steady underneath target and Baker providing more flash.
Although the 37th overall pick has registered more catches than Baker, the 110th overall selection was consistently open throughout Sunday's practice. Baker dealt with a thumb injury that limited him in the spring, so it's been a slower burn. But, as a full go, Baker's explosiveness to create separation has caught the eye when targeted and away from the ball.
Baker began Sunday's practice by dazzling during one-on-one drills. First, he ran away from starting CB Christian Gonzalez on an in-breaking route, then dusted undrafted rookie corner Mikey Victor at the line of scrimmage on a go route. With the ball slightly underthrown, Baker contorted his body to make a terrific over-the-shoulder grab. In team drills, Baker caught a crosser from third-overall pick Drake Maye and a deep out from third-year QB Bailey Zappe, primarily working at the X spot.
Baker's separation ability and burst after the catch have certainly been there in the early going, which is encouraging. As we'll say with Polk, it's way too early to put any expectations on Baker. Still, his dynamic route-running and ability to track the ball set a solid foundation.
3. Assessing the Start of Camp for Second-Round WR Ja'Lynn Polk
Those observing practice got a glimpse into the future when Maye led a team period on Sunday with Baker and Polk as two of his primary receiving options. On back-to-back reps, Maye connected with his fellow rookies, first on an out to Polk and then on a crosser to Baker.
Polk has been heavily involved as a reliable target at the first two levels of the defense. The Pats seem to have plans for him to contribute as a rookie in a Z/slot role, and he projects as a pass-catcher who could be that steady chain-moving piece when the team needs a first down.
However, Polk's burst through the top of routes and vertical separation has been pedestrian. It's not overly surprising that Polk isn't an eye-popping separator, as that was the case on his college film as well. Plus, deep targets could hit at a higher rate once the quarterbacks get used to placing the ball where Polk expects to attack it at the catch point.
The hope is that Polk's physicality will shine in pads while he gets on the same page as the quarterbacks, so he's being thrown open downfield. From this perspective, the comp is still Jakobi Meyers for Polk, but you wish there was slightly more juice as a route-runner.
4. WR Tyquan Thornton Up to 192 Pounds in Pivotal Third Season
Many have written off former second-round pick Tyquan Thornton, who struggled to stay healthy in his first two seasons while failing to produce after being the 50th overall pick in 2022. Thornton always seems to flash as a speed receiver in non-padded practices but gets injured or fades as the physicality increases in padded practices and games.
Although his 4.28 speed got the headlines, Thornton entered the league with a rail-thin frame at 6-2 181 pounds. As a result, his game hasn't adjusted to the rigors of the NFL. Thornton has also suffered shoulder injuries in back-to-back preseasons, which he explained were caused by the ground rather than a direct blow to the shoulder area.
Thornton, who is squarely on the roster bubble, focused on adding muscle this offseason. He is now playing at 192 pounds, adding seven pounds of muscle from his listed weight on the Patriots roster at 185 pounds in 2023. So far, Thornton has caught some passes at the first two levels, using his speed to sit routes down in front of defenders.
Ultimately, Thornton needs to do it in game-like settings to fight off others pushing to make the roster. This scribe isn't taking the bait.
5. WR Jalen Reagor, Thornton's Biggest Competition, Was Noticeable Without Pads
Reagor has a history of showing out in non-padded practices before disappearing or struggling in game-like conditions as a speed receiver. That said, there is a role for a receiver who adds a speed element on the outside. Unless Baker emerges as that deep threat, the Patriots don't have many wideouts on the roster who can run by defensive backs.
Reagor is one player with true deep speed, along with Thornton, and so far, we'd give the TCU product the edge to win a roster spot as a "speed X" on the perimeter. Reagor had the catch of camp to date with a one-handed snag on a deep shot from Maye on day one and has also pulled away from defenders on shallow crossing routes. Plus, he has regularly worked with the returners during special teams periods. It's not Reagor in a landslide, but he has been the more noticeable of the two speed guys between him and Thornton.
6. Kayshon Boutte is Tough to Figure Out as Isolated Flashes Continue
There are moments where Boutte looks like a legit NFL receiver in these practices. However, they come and go, which begs the question: is it enough to make the roster? Boutte finished a terrific catch on a go route working against Jonathan Jones in one-on-one drills and will occasionally catch a slant route during team drills. But, with several other receivers in the same mold on the roster, Boutte needs to do more to prove worthy of a roster spot.
7. K.J. Osborn and JuJu Smith-Schuster: Two Vets Trying to Carve Out Roles
It's been a slog for the two veteran receivers in the early going. Smith-Schuster's burst to create separation looks totally gone. He wears coverage on seemingly every route and struggles to finish through contact. There were two occasions in Sunday's practice where JuJu got at least a hand on the ball, but the defender in coverage was draped all over him, and Smith-Schuster couldn't complete the catch.
We aren't seeing any signs of life from Smith-Schuster, and Osborn has been slightly better, but nothing to write home about for similar reasons: a lack of separation. Younger players have gravitated toward Osborn, who could carve out a role on special teams, unlike JuJu. If we are basing this purely on practice performance, unless one of them starts to pop in pads, it might be a youth movement + Bourne/Reagor for the Patriots.
Based on the spring and the first four training camp practices, my group is Kendrick Bourne, Pop Douglas, Ja'Lynn Polk, Javon Baker, and Jalen Reagor. Osborn makes it if Bourne starts the year on PUP, or they decide to carry six.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
