FOXBORO, Mass. — There was good, bad, and ugly on Day 5 of New England Patriots training camp.
The Patriots were in full pads for the first time and put in roughly two hours of work under cloudy skies and occasional raindrops. There were signs of life from the offense — with one quarterback under center, anyway — and another strong showing from the defense. However, the story of the day was Matthew Judon, who we’ll get to in a bit.
Best Players From Day 5 of Patriots Training Camp
QB Jacoby Brissett | STUD
This arguably was Jacoby Brissett’s best day of training camp. He had deep completions to Javon Baker and Tyquan Thornton and showed better command of the offense than any of his understudies. When the protection was there, Brissett was able to run the offense efficiently.
Overall, Brissett was 8 for 9 with two sacks in 11-on-11s and 4 for 6 during 7-on-7s.
Brissett wasn’t spectacular or anything, but he was by far the best quarterback on the field. The offense just looks more coherent with him under center, and he rarely makes poor decisions.
This QB competition would be interesting if Drake Maye were matching Brissett’s level of play, but so far, it hasn’t been close. Brissett is the clear No. 1 quarterback.
Bake brings it down 👀@JBrissett12 | @Javondbaker1 pic.twitter.com/O33I7TSmSu
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) July 29, 2024
OT Caedan Wallace | STUD
This was the first practice that made you believe Caedan Wallace might have a shot at being the Patriots’ left tackle.
The rookie was excellent in 1-on-1s, going 3-0 with wins against Anfernee Jennings and John Morgan. Wallace also played well during team drills, with his only struggles coming later in practice. The third-rounder was the top left tackle in the last three practices, and he’s making the most of his opportunities.
Let’s see if he can repeat it on Tuesday.
RB Kevin Harris | STUD
This is as much about Kevin Harris’ performance throughout camp as it is about the job he did on Monday.
The third-year RB is competing for the top backup job and is currently the favorite to win the gig. Harris has delivered long runs in each practice, a trend that continued Monday. He also looks faster than he did in either of his first two seasons but hasn’t lost any of his strength or physicality.
Is Harris the Patriots’ next great back to come out of nowhere? Probably not, but he could be a solid depth piece.
Players Who Struggled on Day 5 of Patriots Training Camp
QB Drake Maye | DUD
Sunday saw Maye submit his worst practice as a pro. He arguably was even worse on Monday.
The No. 3 pick wasn’t helped by spotty pass protection and at least one drop. But he also slipped on an incompletion, struggled with accuracy, and threw an interception to Kyle Dugger in 7-on-7s.
In his first 11-on-11 period, Maye had three handoffs and a sack. He went just 1 for 5 with two sacks in 11-on-11s and 2 for 6 in 7-on-7s with a pick.
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If Maye is going to win the starting job, he needs to start stacking good practices. Right now, he’s doing the opposite.
Maye shows flashes of his immense talent. But he also rushes throws, is spotty with his accuracy, and makes too many pre-snap penalties. There’s no reason for Patriots fans to panic, as Maye is enduring typical rookie struggles. Nevertheless, it’s getting harder and harder to envision him as the Week 1 starter.
TE Mitchell Wilcox | DUD
It was a rough showing for Mitchell Wilcox, who had two drops and ran a soft route on the play that resulted in Dugger’s interception. Wilcox is competing with Jaheim Bell, La’Michael Pettway, and Jacob Warren for the No. 3 tight end job, and he didn’t help his cause with Monday’s performance.
LB Matthew Judon | DUD
Judon participated in the first four practices despite his open desire for a new contract. But Monday was a much different story.
He sat alone in street clothes for the start of practice. After a brief conversation with head coach Jerod Mayo, who covered his mouth with a clipboard, Judon left the field and went back to the locker room.
He returned soon afterward, still in street clothes, and went straight to executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and director of player personnel Matt Groh. After leading an animated discussion, Judon left the field and didn’t return.
It was a bizarre situation, one that likely wouldn’t have happened if Bill Belichick were still in charge.
Jerod Mayo appears to exchange some words with Matthew Judon who is not participating in practice today. Judon seen exiting the field after their conversation 👀 pic.twitter.com/BJvP64tnpS
— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) July 29, 2024
Obviously, Judon isn’t in this section due to his performance. Nor are we criticizing him for not participating due to a contract issue, as that kind of stuff happens in the NFL. Rather, this is about Judon seemingly throwing acting out and being a distraction.
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It didn’t benefit anyone for him to watch practice in street clothes, and his animated interaction with Wolf and Groh wasn’t a good look for anyone involved. It also put unnecessary head on his head coach, who surely will face questions about how things were different under Belichick.
If Judon wants to sit out until he’s paid, that’s fine. But what happened Monday was just bizarre and marred what should’ve been a great day of football.