Offense Pulls Ahead in First Padded Practices of New England Patriots Training Camp

Through four practice sessions in t-shirts and shorts, the New England Patriots’ new-look offense was stuck in second gear trying to solve the enigma of one of the NFL’s elite secondaries. That script flipped entirely when the pads came on Thursday, revealing a physically-imposing receiver room and growing chemistry with their superstar quarterback.

From highlight-reel grabs to long-term solutions in the trenches, New England’s first padded practices of the 2026 season provided a glimpse into the strengths the unit will lean on this fall — and for many, their development in year two of Josh McDaniels’ system.

Here are five offensive observations from the first padded practices of Patriots’ training camp 2026:

Drake Maye and New England’s passing attack were slow to show progress through the team’s first four practices, and his connections with offseason additions A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs were at the forefront in the lack of consistency. Through those non-padded sessions, Maye was just 3-for-10 when targeting Brown, and Doubs added little noteworthy contributions.

In a stark reversal of fates over the last three days, the growing chemistry between Maye and his new weapons was the catalyst for the team’s success. Brown registered 10 receptions in those sessions, with several wins on contested catches against cornerback Christian Gonzalez. He especially shined in the Patriots’ red zone period on Friday, hauling in four of five targets with four touchdowns. Doubs was also in on the action, with an impressive touchdown reception over an outstretched Gonzalez in the back right corner of the end zone.

Maye finished the last three days with 26 completions on 30 passing attempts, and distributed the ball to a variety of different personnel around him. DeMario Douglas has maintained a high volume of snaps in 11 personnel as New England’s top option in the slot, with co-2023 sixth-round pick Kayshon Boutte continuing to show reliable hands on tight-window throws.

Second-year wide receiver Kyle Williams also made the highlight reel with a spinning one-handed touchdown reception from quarterback Tommy DeVito on Friday — an emphatic response to questions about his long-term future in the receiver rotation that sparked earlier in the week.

One of the deepest rooms on the roster, the Patriots’ offseason additions at wide receiver add to an already ascending position group. With several larger-framed bodies at the top, New England’s strength at receiver will be their size and physicality. That took center stage when the pads came on, and will be on full display when live bullets fly.

One of the most notable evolutions of McDaniels’ offense in year two is the unit’s pace. Last season, the Patriots’ ranked 28th in the NFL with 28.6 seconds between plays — a full second longer than the league average. They also ranked last in the NFL with just 41 snaps run in no-huddle throughout the regular season.

In part, New England’s slower-than-average offensive tempo was created by game script. The Patriots spent more time with a lead than any other team in the league and used that to their advantage, shrinking games by methodically working the clock down. The approach, and the luxury to execute plays without time being a pressing issue, also benefited Maye and the offense as they became more acclimated to their responsibilities and expectations in the system on a snap-by-snap basis.

Now in year two, it appears that the strategy is shifting. Through spring practices and the early portion of training camp, New England has made a concerted effort to reduce the time between plays — frequently drilling in no-huddle or hurry-up scenarios and giving Maye more freedom to call plays at the line of scrimmage.

Whether it be late in close games or to press their advantage in certain personnel packages, hastening the offense’s pace between snaps will generate more plays and possessions during the course of the season. More plays equate to more carries and targets for the Patriots’ expanding list of skill players, and the variable tempo between snaps will keep opposing defenses unbalanced as they work to identify who New England is looking to feature in those situations.

Padded practices are the first somewhat legitimate look at line play to begin the season. For the Patriots, those early returns have been centered around the growth of their first-round picks at tackle. 

Will Campbell (selected No. 4 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft) returns for year two under a spotlight. He showed promise in the first 12 weeks of last season before suffering a torn MCL that sidelined him until Week 18. Attempting to play through the injury for New England’s playoff run, his mobility was visibly limited — and aligning against some of the league’s elite pass rushers, those combining factors didn’t produce the greatest results.

Now healthy and ready to take another step forward, Campbell spent his offseason working with All-Pro tackles Dion Dawkins, Lane Johnson, and Tristan Wirfs to refine his technique, and it’s shown on the field. Campbell’s been a standout in one-on-one drills, finishing the first three days of pads 6-1 during those periods. 

On the right side of the line, Caleb Lomu (selected No. 28 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft) has seen extended playing time with the first-team offense as the Patriots manage 35-year-old veteran Morgan Moses’ workload. When Moses has been on the field, Lomu has still seen reps with the top unit, frequently flexing into a tackle-eligible role. Lomu’s athleticism has turned heads since the spring, and that has continued through the early part of the preseason.

New England has been managing free agent acquisition Alijah Vera-Tucker’s reps similar to Moses’ while he works his way back from a torn triceps injury that forced him to miss all of 2025 — his third season-ending injury in five years. Vera-Tucker has been dominant when he has been on the field, and it appears the Patriots are doing what they can to ensure he stays healthy enough to carry that over into live action later this fall. On Saturday, Ben Brown played in replacement of Vera-Tucker, with Lomu in for Moses. Those two project to be the top rotational backups on the offensive line as the season nears.

New England has been looking for answers behind Hunter Henry in the tight end room since the start of the offseason. 

That road has been a winding one, as free agent addition Julian Hill initially projected to be the team’s starting Y tight end on the line of scrimmage before suffering a season-ending injury during spring practices. In his stead, Jack Westover and C.J. Dippre took over with the first-team offense in mandatory minicamp, but that hasn’t been the case through two weeks of training camp. 

It appears the Patriots will be undergoing a youth movement at tight end, with rookies Eli Raridon (selected No. 95 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft) and Tanner Arkin (undrafted free agent signing) commanding the lion’s share of the reps during the summer. 

Raridon has impressed with his comfortability in the offense. A smooth athlete for the position, he’s been a dependable target in the passing game for both Maye and DeVito. He turned heads earlier in camp by cutting off a route early to sit in a vacated zone and present an open target to the quarterback, hauling in a deep reception as a result.

Arkin’s path to a roster spot becomes clearer by the day. He first drew attention for his physicality at the line of scrimmage, but has also flexed around the formation in a similar fashion to Hill’s planned usage. While not as gifted a receiver as Raridon, Arkin is firmly in the mix to take over Y responsibilities on early downs and has seen his opportunities with the first-team steadily increase during the first two weeks of training camp.

In the backfield, there have been promising signs for the growth of TreVeyon Henderson (selected No. 38 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft) as a between-the-tackles runner as he enters year two.

Henderson’s rookie season was a mixed bag. His 1,132 total scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns were a milestone achievement for rookie rushers in franchise history, and his 5.1 yards per carry was a mark any team would consider satisfactory. On a down-by-down basis, however, those averages were skewed by an abnormally high percentage of “breakaway runs.” 

A threat to hit a home run from anywhere on the field, Henderson tallied 361 of his 911 rushing yards (39.6%) on 15-plus yard carries. Without those long rushes included in his average, his yards per carry dropped to just 3.23 yards — an indication that he was heavily dependent on those chunk gains. 

In year two, New England is hoping that Henderson can level-off his production per-snap and be less “boom or bust” with the ball in his hands. Early on in camp, he’s shown development in that area. Running on a much higher percentage of zone blocking concepts, Henderson has flashed with greatly improved vision and patience to identify gaps and hit them. He’s found multiple cutback lanes on outside zone runs, quickly advancing to the second level of the defense where he can break a game open.

The addition of fullback Reggie Gilliam and more athletic blockers with Vera-Tucker and Lomu fit Henderson’s strengths as a runner, and will help him unlock greater potential out of the backfield this year. 

The Patriots offense flipped the switch when the pads came on, showcasing a growing level of comfortability featuring new additions at wide receiver and development of their youth along the line of scrimmage. Those pieces will play a vital role in their success this fall and are set to take more strides through joint practices and the preseason.

How do you think New England’s offense has fared during training camp? Drop your thoughts in the comments below and join the conversation on Patriots Roundtable.

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