Drake Maye struggles with four interception day, plus other Patriots OTA observations

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Well, it’s a good thing it’s May. 

On Tuesday, the New England Patriots held their first OTA practice of 2025 that was open to the media, and folks in attendance bore witness to Drake Maye battling turnovers. In what was an overall light practice for the Patriots (given the restrictions for what they can do on the field during this time of the year), the intensity ramped up during 11-on-11 periods. 

Out of the gate, Maye completed his first pair of passes and tossed a well-placed ball to Kayshon Boutte deep down the middle of the field, albeit falling incomplete. Then, the second-year quarterback started laboring. Maye endured a turnover-filled afternoon that featured a pair of back-to-back interceptions during two different sessions. 

The first, Maye was throwing a ball intended for rookie wideout Kyle Williams, which was picked off by safety Dell Pettus. On the very next play, Christian Gonzalez jumped in front of a throw intended for DeMario Douglas. That concluded Maye’s first period of 11-on-11s, and when he returned for his second go-around, it was more of the same. 

After completing a few throws, Maye again targeted Williams and was again intercepted by Christian Gonzalez. After that, a tipped ball fell into the arms of safety Craig Woodson to mark Maye’s fourth interception of the day in his first nine pass attempts. Sheesh! 

Was it a good day for the rising sophomore quarterback? No. However, a poor showing in May shouldn’t cause region-wide panic either. At least not yet. Maye did play a lot cleaner as the session progressed and finished the day completing 11 of his 17 passes overall, which included a run to end the afternoon where he completed seven of his final eight attempts. 

Maye’s turnover-filled afternoon is an early reminder that there will be growing pains with the second-year signal-caller, particularly as he learns Josh McDaniels’ offense. While there will be struggles, there will also be some flashes of promise. Later on Tuesday, Maye completed a ball to second-year wideout Javon Baker deep down the right sideline, beating Gonzalez — a second-team All-Pro corner in 2024 — in coverage. That was unquestionably the highlight of the day from the offense, in what was an overall day dominated by defense. 

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For more on how Tuesday’s OTA session unfolded, check out our other takeaways below:

• Attendance: For a voluntary piece of New England’s offseason program, this organized team activity was highly attended. The notable players missing on the field included Stefon Diggs (knee) and Rhamondre Stevenson (personal), along with rookie defensive lineman Joshua Farmer and offensive lineman Sidy Sow. Receiver Mack Hollins was present for the practice, but was in street clothes. 
• Gonzalez dominates: While Maye throwing four interceptions will be the main takeaway from Tuesday’s practice, another way of looking at it is that Christian Gonzalez continues to look like a dominant force in the secondary. He was responsible for two of those interceptions on the day and looks every bit the part of your prototypical shutdown corner.
• Will Campbell fits right in: It’s hard to make any sort of definitive statements about offensive linemen after watching a non-padded practice with little to no contact. That said, Campbell demanded attention given that the rookie was the No. 4 overall pick at the NFL Draft, and early indications are that the first-rounder will be entrenched as the blindside tackle when Week 1 rolls around. The LSU product was a fixture at left tackle whenever Maye was under center. 
• Henderson sees added opportunity: With Stevenson absent due to a personal issue, it was an opportunity for the Patriots (and us) to see an increased amount of rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson. The second-round pick was involved in the backfield rotation alongside veteran Antonio Gibson, with the offensive group led by Maye. So far, Henderson seemed to fit in smoothly, and his quickness was apparent, particularly on screens.
• Limited day for Ja’Lynn Polk: The second-year receiver spent most of the day doing individual drills off on the opposite field. Polk is looking to rebound after a disappointing rookie season.
• Barmore participates: Christian Barmore, who missed most of last season due to a blood clot issue, had previously relayed that he had been cleared for football activity, and the defensive tackle was present Tuesday and involved along the interior of the line. He worked next to free agent addition Milton Williams, who could form quite the pairing for Mike Vrabel’s defense. 
• Joint practices: Before the session, Mike Vrabel confirmed that the Patriots will conduct joint practices with the Washington Commanders (home) and Minnesota Vikings (road) before their preseason exhibitions this summer.