Drake Maye is as announced – NBC Sports Boston

FOXBORO – So what was the most notable, noteworthy and interesting takeaway from the Patriots’ rookie minicamp session on Saturday?

Jaysus, does Joe Milton have a damn cannon arm?

And while even a casual NFL fan knows, it's still an intriguing development since Milton showed it off at the NFL Combine in February. After watching the Mac Jones/Bailey Zappe combination over the last few seasons, it feels like going from a Champions Tour event to a long drive competition.

At this point you might be thinking, “Cool. Nobody cares how hard Milton throws it. What did Drake Maye look like, idiot?”

I think that's the point. During the 60-minute session, which was open to the media on Saturday, Maye was “doing well.” He threw against the air without a defender and had many precise and many imprecise throws. His mistakes were mostly placement issues. There were no “WTF” throws, just ones that were well behind the receivers or a little too high on throws in the middle of the field.

But he showed control and presence in the huddle and at the line, he certainly fills the No. 10 jersey better than Jones, and he's got plenty of arm, even if Milton's is a tick or two stronger.

A look at the Patriots' rookies at Gillette Stadium for minicamp.

In short, Maye is as advertised. A work in progress with all the physical tools to perhaps one day approach its much-discussed ceiling.

The Patriots dedicated the first part of practice to the fundamentals of each position. I focused on Maye and Milton because they were coached by offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, quarterbacks coach TC McCartney and offensive assistants Ben McAdoo and Evan Rothstein.

Head coach Jerod Mayo was asked who will have Maye on his mind the most.

“Across the league, most offensive coordinators interact with the quarterback, largely the starting quarterback,” he responded. “We do have a group of coaches with quarterback backgrounds, but overall I would say the main guy would be AVP (Alex Van Pelt).”

Whether that will be the case when Jacoby Brissett joins the group at minicamp and training camp next month remains to be seen. But on this day, Maye would have been considered a “starter” since he completed the first few reps ahead of Milton.

Mayo acknowledged that there are many quarterback-centered coaches and added, “There has to be a balance; You don't want Drake to hear too many voices. This is why I say again that AVP will be the main player in communicating with Drake.”

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Maye and Milton worked on taking snaps, short drops and handoffs before transitioning to some drops with precise throws to a net goal. It was windy and there was a lot of footwork involved, but Maye didn't hit the target very often.

“I think on the first day I just tried it and did more and more reps. This is all something new. I’m just getting more reps,” Maye explained. “I think it's – you know, it's an advantage. Fast play is much faster.

“…And I think I'm trying out a lot of new things with the stance under center – you know, two new stances that I'm getting used to. So I just work on it and practice it. And I’ll start – I felt pretty good out there today, so I just have to keep working.”

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• Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker were 1-2 in all receiver reps. Polk, the second-rounder from Washington, showed precision and speed in his routes and had very good hands throughout.

Baker had a few drops on balls that he should have handled. Mayo was asked about the fourth-rounder before practice Unbridled confidence showcased on social media.

“I want these guys to have a personality,” Mayo said. “I want them to have the freedom to talk about certain things.

“Look, we’re going to have rules about what to talk about. But now when he puts it out there, he has to show it out here on the football field every day. If not, he's just a talker and you start to lose.” The respect for the locker room and things like that. So he said it, he put it out there, and now you have to show us.

• Third-rounder Caedan Wallace and fourth-rounder Layden Robinson were at left tackle and left guard, respectively, throughout practice.
• The catch of the day came from seventh-round tight end Jaheim Bell, who deftly followed up on an over-the-shoulder catch after a lofted throw from Maye.
• Mayo was asked what he was looking for in training. His answer: “First and foremost, yesterday was more of an evaluation day to see how these guys are doing physically and mentally. Today there are a little more competitive exercises. … I think the thing we have to remember is that this is football, so there were a lot of All-Stars in shorts and t-shirts that never actually touched the field. We have to wait to put the pads on.”
• As for Mayo's early impressions of Maye: “Look, he's got a lot to do. There is much to do. But I have no doubt that he will make the time. You didn’t see him out here yesterday, but he was here all night trying to be on par with everyone else.”