Patriots-Eagles preview: Outlining a potential Drake Maye gameplan

Patriots-Eagles preview: Outlining a potential Drake Maye gameplan originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

FOXBORO — The Patriots got about 70 plays under their belt on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball in Tuesday’s joint practice with the Eagles. For the decision-makers at One Patriot Place, there was plenty to digest from that one day of work alone.

What, then, do they want to see in Thursday’s preseason game at Gillette Stadium?

Offensively they’re still trying to get their line settled, and operationally on that side of the ball Jerod Mayo told reporters during a recent press conference that he hoped to see a little more urgency. A matchup with the Eagles will give Alex Van Pelt’s unit an opportunity to show it can get in and out of the huddle with some alacrity.

Defensively? The Patriots would probably like to see more of the same. Against the Eagles offense earlier in the week, New England had quarterback Jalen Hurts trying to navigate dirty pockets, and the Patriots were the more physical team on early downs.

With those big-picture thoughts in mind, let’s drill down a little further on what to keep an eye out for when the Patriots take the field for their second preseason game of the summer…

Quarterback reps

One thing we do know, courtesy of some recent public commentary from Mayo, is that Drake Maye is going to play more than a half-dozen snaps. There will be no repeat of the brief cameo Maye experienced in his preseason debut last week.

Knowing that Patriots fans will have an opportunity to see the No. 3 overall pick more extensively, the question now is this: How much more extensively?

The Patriots likely will want Jacoby Brissett to see some time with the starters early. He looks like the choice to start the regular season and could still use some time to get his timing and rhythm down with his teammates. Maybe a quarter or so would be enough for him to feel like he’s made some headway in that regard.

From there, it would be wise for the Patriots to give Maye a significant portion of the middle of the game. Allowing him to play deep into the second quarter, giving him a two-minute period before half, allowing him to experience an NFL halftime, and then having him come back out for the third quarter would seem like a valuable experience for a player in Maye’s position.

If the team could do all that and sprinkle in some reps with the starters on the offensive line, that would qualify as a hearty preseason experience for the soon-to-be 22-year-old as he gets accustomed to life as a pro.

One would expect fellow rookie Joe Milton to get plenty of work after Maye as well, especially given his impressive preseason debut last week.

Pass rush plan

The Patriots made what would be best described as a “prudent” decision to trade Matthew Judon this week. Now that he’s gone, it’ll be worth keeping a close eye on the pass-rushers on the Patriots sideline and how they’re deployed in a situation like the one they’ll face Thursday night.

The Eagles under head coach Nick Sirianni aren’t considered a team that is likely to give heavy reps to its starters in preseason contests, but Keion White, Anfernee Jennings, Oshane Ximines and Josh Uche are the edge defenders who figure to see the biggest bump in responsibility following the Judon trade.

White is perhaps the most intriguing of that group, with a physical skill set that has allowed him to play everywhere from nose tackle to outside linebacker during training camp. Jennings has been an early-down stalwart since last season and figures to continue to get starting reps in Judon’s absence, as he did last year with Judon out injured.

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Uche will have a chance to be a sub-package problem for opposing offensive lines if he can make the most of his opportunities moving forward. Ximines, meanwhile, impressed against the Panthers in the preseason opener — making plays on special teams, against the run and in the passing game — and looks like he’s on track to make the roster after a strong camp.

There’s no one-for-one replacement for Judon. But with a creative scheme that has in the recent past relied on blitz packages and stunts at the line of scrimmage to generate pass-rush opportunities, the Patriots have avenues available to them to try to maintain their status as one of the more imposing defenses in football.

Path to protection

The Patriots have leaned on the following group of offensive line starters for the vast majority of camp: right tackle Chukwuma Okorafor, right guard Mike Onwenu, center David Andrews, left guard Sidy Sow and left tackle Vederian Lowe.

That unit, as well as the second-team grouping, had its hands full against the Eagles on Tuesday. Okorafor, Onwenu and Sow each had tough moments trying to protect Brissett. Still, the expectation should be that those five names mentioned above will take the field first on Thursday.

That doesn’t mean Mayo and Van Pelt can’t toy with the rotation, though.

It’d be interesting to see if they would consider kicking Onwenu out to right tackle and allowing rookie fourth-round pick Layden Robinson to play some right guard with the top unit. The first-year guard out of Texas A&M had a good night against the Panthers last week and a good practice against the Eagles.

Even if Onwenu’s best position is inside, if getting Robinson at guard and bumping Onwenu to the edge means the overall unit will be better off, the Patriots have to consider it.

Cornerback conundrum

The Patriots have three players who are likely going to be their top-three when the season rolls around: Christian Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones and Marcus Jones. But they’ll need more than that. And both Joneses have already dealt with injury this summer, making some dependable depth there even more critical.

Which defensive backs will provide that depth? Anyone’s guess at this point. Marco Wilson and Alex Austin have seen practice reps with the top defense lately. But rookie Marcellas Dial, second-year man Isaiah Bolden and veteran Shaun Wade have had their moments in camp, too. Can any of them separate against the Eagles?

Whether the fourth or fifth corner spot is won on defense or on special teams, Thursday night will provide those players who seem to be in the running yet another opportunity to audition.

Tracking the roster hopefuls

Other under-the-radar players hoping to earn a role for themselves?

Leading the way might be linebacker Joe Giles-Harris, who has impressed his coaches with his work ethic and his knack for getting his hands on the football in zone coverage. Fellow ‘backers Christian Elliss and Raekwon McMillan may be looking to keep their positive momentum going after having played well over the last couple of weeks.

Edge defender William Bradley-King is worth a look Thursday with the depth at that spot taking a hit following the Judon trade. Then there are players like Jeremiah Pharms Jr. — one of the best players in the preseason opener — Mike Purcell and Trysten Hill hoping to carve a niche along the defensive line.

Offensively, tight end Jaheim Bell could end up shining with Hunter Henry not expected to play as the veteran deals with an injury that held him out of practice this week. Austin Hooper is still the more reliable option on the depth chart, but there should be plenty of reps available to the seventh-round rookie from Florida State.

Receiver and return man David Wallis had an eyebrow-raising performance a week ago against the Panthers, as did fellow undrafted rookies running back Terrell Jennings and receiver JaQuae Jackson. This is their time to do their best to stand out again.