FOXBOROUGH – Three seconds.
That’s what it took for six Patriots rookies to make a memory of a lifetime. That’s what it took to show everyone the potential this franchise possesses.
For three seconds, starting at 2:00 of the second quarter, the Patriots had every offensive rookie drafted (other than Joe Milton III) on the field. At this moment, Drake Maye received the snap in a shotgun formation and faked the handoff to running back JaMychal Hasty.
In an instant, defensive players bit on the run and the seas parted on the right side of the field. That’s when Maye, who was standing back at the 9-yard line, took off and ran into the end zone for the first touchdown of his NFL career in Thursday night’s preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
As he ran through the end zone, Maye was met by fellow rookie Ja’Lynn Polk, and the two jumped simultaneously, delivering a chest bump. Soon, the quarterback was greeted by rookie guard Layden Robinson and rookie tackle Caedan Wallace. Rookie tight end Jaheim Bell wasn’t far behind. The same went for rookie receiver Javon Baker.
This spring, the Patriots spent seven of their eight draft picks on offensive players with the hope of transforming their offense to new heights. On Thursday night, six of those rookies were on the field at the same time and magic happened.
“It was great. It was great,” head coach Jerod Mayo said. “Look, we hoped that these guys can grow up together and develop together, and we have a good nucleus of guys in the future, and that’s kind of what we were aiming for.”
Following the Patriots 14-13 loss, the fellow rookies were beaming in the locker room. The group of offensive rookies have impressed their veteran teammates and on Thursday night, left Gillette Stadium confident they’ll be part of an improved Patriots offense.
“It’s an awesome moment,” Maye said. “We spend a lot of time here in the rookie meetings. During the spring, it was just us. It was definitely cool to have those guys out there, I think one of the first things I did was chest bump JP (Polk). It was cool to get out there with some of the guys that are in the same spot going through the same thing. It’s fun times for us – a moment that I will probably never forget.”
Here’s a look at that touchdown from the eyes of the rookies who were on the field:
Jaheim Bell, tight end
Bell was lined up in a 3-point stance next to fellow tight end Mitchell Wilcox. When the ball was snapped, he immediately ran out and blocked Eagles rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.
When Maye started to run, he darted in Bell’s direction. The seventh-round pick was able to seal his man off and keep him from getting to the quarterback.
“Once I hear what I need to hear (on the call), I just lock in and process it and execute that play,” Bell said. “That block right there, it’s very simple. It’s not a kill block. It’s basic for Drake to read and I executed on that play and he walked into the end zone.”
Earlier this offseason, Bell said he hoped to make an impact for the Patriots. The rookie said that play was a sign of things to come for this year’s draft class.
“I mean, shit, they drafted us all together. I just feel like we’re the future,” Bell said. “To be in on that touchdown all together, that means a lot. That’s our draft class. It shows what the future will look like for us. “
Layden Robinson, right guard
Robinson didn’t start the game, but the rookie was inserted into the lineup at right guard during Maye’s second drive. In this play, he was part of the offensive decoy. When the ball was snapped, Eagles defensive players acted like they were trying to stop a run up the middle. Robinson blocked defensive tackle P.J. Mustipher, pushing him down to the turf.
“Just do my job. That’s my focus. You try not to think about it too much when you’re on the field, just taking it play-by-play,” Robinson said. “Just off the ball and hit somebody, just hit the guy, move him fast to where he wants to go or take him to somewhere he doesn’t want to go. That’s the thing about that play. That’s a real special moment.”
Drafted in the fourth round, Robinson has had a good training camp and could one day be a part of Maye’s starting offensive line.
“That was really good because it creates a great morale for the team in general. We’re just happy that we got Drake to score his first NFL touchdown,” Robinson said. “That’s a big deal for all of us. Not just him. We’re happy to get him in the end zone. That’s his welcome to the NFL moment.”
Javon Baker, receiver
Baker was lined up wide, outside of Polk, opposite second-year cornerback Kelee Ringo. When the ball was snapped, he ran a route and stutter-stepped to get Ringo to backpedal into the end zone.
Baker even acted like he was going to run to the back left corner of the end zone, bringing Ringo farther away from where Maye was running. The receiver said his mindset was simple.
“Honestly, just dominate my man, get (away from) the ball. That’s it. Just don’t let the corner get a tackle on the ball,” Baker said. “I take pride in everything being a receiver. Just blocking a guy is the mentality. It’s your mentality as a receiver. I take pride in everything I do with football.”
A fourth-round pick, Baker caught Maye’s first pass completion of the game on Thursday. He feels that the closer this draft class gets, the better the Patriots will ultimately be.
“It was cool for sure, being out with the guys that I got drafted (with), the same class as me. Cool experience,” Baker said. “The bonding process – that’s what we need as an offense, honestly. As a rookie class, how many we drafted on offense, we’ve got to bond and once we bond and click, everything should be up from there.”
Caedan Wallace, tackle
Like Robinson, Wallace was inserted into the game during Maye’s second drive. He replaced Chuks Okorafor at right tackle. On the snap, Robinson blocked the player, Mustopher, who was in front of Wallace. That allowed the tackle to get to the second level and block Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr., clearing a bigger hole for Maye.
While blocking Trotter, Wallace also pushed his man into Eagles safety Tristin McCollum, which created a bigger gap.
“Handle the first level first and block for him getting out – if he ever eventually gets out,” Wallace explained. “It kind of happened today where I was able to make sure my down dude was out and get up to the second level. Make sure (Maye) had a nice little path to get in there.”
A third-round pick, the Patriots have been impressed with Wallace’s football IQ and athleticism. He’s been practicing at both left and right tackle this summer. If it all works out, he’ll be protecting Maye for years.
“It’s huge,” Wallace said of being on the field with all the rookies for the touchdown. “It’s awesome to be on the field with Drake, being at practice with him, coming out to the game and putting stuff to fruition. It’s been cool.”
Ja’Lynn Polk, receiver
Polk was aligned as the Patriots slot receiver on the play. Directly in front of him was Eagles veteran cornerback Avonte Maddox. When the ball was snapped, Polk acted like he was going to run a route to get Maddox to backpedal. As soon as Maye took off, Polk blocked the cornerback in the end zone.
“The goal on every play is just to win. Whether that’s a block or you’ve got a certain route. Just being very critical and having the mindset of just win every rep,” Polk said. “I take a lot of pride (in blocking) – especially in this offense.
“We’re going to run the ball, so understanding that if you want to play, you have to do those and make plays for your teammates without the ball in your hands. Just being that unselfish guy, going out there and doing what I got to do to help the team win.”
As Maye crossed the goal line, he pretended to be on a basketball court and finger-rolled the football like he would a layup. After that, the first person he celebrated with was this second-round pick.
“It was pretty cool. Just to be out there to experience that,” Polk said. “That’s something we all dreamed of – just being out there. Just seeing the game as when we were kids and cheering each other on.
“It’s awesome. A bunch of great guys who are committed to here, each and every day to just come work and change this thing around.”
For the Patriots, that’s the goal of this draft class. On Thursday night, for three seconds, their impact was felt.
