Patriots OTA Notes: Drake Maye Starts Slow, Finishes Strong

Patriots OTA Notes: Drake Maye Starts Slow, Finishes Strong originally appeared in NBC Sports Boston

“We’re getting into real football now.”

That was one of the first comments coach Jerod Mayo made to reporters Wednesday at the New England Patriots’ organized team activities outside Gillette Stadium. While the Patriots have already had three official OTA sessions, they will have three consecutive sessions from Wednesday through Friday during which they can make real progress in preparing for the 2024 season.

So what happened on the first day of these three sessions? How were the quarterback reps split between veteran Jacoby Brissett, current backup Bailey Zappe and rookie Drake Maye, and how did each QB perform with those reps?

Here’s everything you need to know about Wednesday’s OTA session based on remarks that Patriots Insider Phil Perry posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) from Foxboro:

Attendance

Star edge rusher Matthew Judon and rookie QB Joe Milton were among those absent from Wednesday’s session. Check out the full list of absent players:

Forward Sidy Sow was present and in uniform to start the session, but left early and did not participate, according to Perry.

Instant QB Analysis

Brissett was the first QB to get reps in team practices and was “No. 1,” according to Perry. Zappe was second with Maye third, like he did on Day 1 of OTAs last week.

“In a competitive 11-on-11 period, Brissett and Maye shared a field and did five reps each,” Perry wrote. “Zappe worked in the adjacent field and took all the photos.

“In a later 11-on-11 period, Brissett took eight snaps. Zappe took five. Maye took three. Maye got more 7-on-7 reps than any of the veterans because the rookie worked as the only QB on a field during that period .

“Bottom line: Brissett remains the leader. Zappe has taken more 11-on-11 shots than Maye.”

Drake Maye shows improvement

Maye took a “step in the right direction,” according to Perry, who noted that the third overall pick overcame a “slow start” to deliver a decent day.

“In team periods, (Maye) knocked down a deep shot to JuJu Smith-Schuster,” Perry wrote. “Then I had to reconvene after a miscommunication and subsequently threw incomplete on a tight screen to Austin Hooper.

“I started from there. Completed 14 of his next 16 attempts. (Two attempts on 11-on-11, the rest on 7-on-7.) His best play of the day was a deep bucket finish to a perfectly placed Tyquan Thornton.

Strong day for Jacoby Brissett

The best QB on the Patriots depth chart played like this on Wednesday.

“Jacoby Brissett was 13 for 15 in competitive periods. Looked sharp,” Perry wrote.

“Two strong throws to Javon Baker in contested situations were two of his best of the day. Hit Tyquan Thornton on a throw that was a hit. Got a sack (Deatrich Wise and Trystan Hill there) late.”

Zappe makes the only turnover

OTA practices without pads tend to favor the offense, but the defense managed to produce some highlights.

“An interception for the Patriots defense today: Safety Jaylinn Hawkins hit Bailey Zappe on a 7-on-7 job after a deflection,” Perry wrote.

“Undrafted rookie Mikey Victor broke up a Jacoby Brissett pass and Marte Mapu nearly picked off Drake Maye.”

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