New England Patriots

New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said that rookie first-round quarterback Drake Maye will play in the team's preseason opener on Thursday against the Carolina Panthers. "Everyone who is healthy enough to play in the game, will play," Mayo said. The head coach also said that the plan right now is for veteran Jacoby Brissett to start on Thursday. Although nothing has been officially announced, Brissett is the clear favorite to start for the Pats in the Week 1 regular season opener. While the 21-year-old Maye, who was the third overall pick in April's NFL draft, has much more long-term upside than Brissett, he's reportedly looked like a rookie in training camp as he tries to learn New England's offense. We'll get a better look at Maye during the preseason, but for now, he's not much of a redraft option in fantasy as he heads into his first year in the league.

New England Patriots wide receiver Demario Douglas (hand) has been dealing with a hand injury and wearing a red non-contact jersey at the start of training camp. However, he took the field on Friday with a white jersey, signifying he has been fully cleared. It's promising to see him recover well before the start of the 2024 campaign, and he's looking to build off his solid rookie season. The 2023 sixth-round pick out of Liberty led the team's wide receivers in receptions (49) and receiving yards (561) but did not secure a touchdown reception last year. He's been labeled a sleeper candidate heading into 2024, and he's a risk-free selection at his draft spot after the first 175 players go off the board. That said, the entire New England offense is likely to have limited upside with Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye at quarterback and a lack of high-end weapons.

Entering his fourth season and coming off a new contract extension, New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson looks the part of a franchise running back at training camp. The 26-year-old says he's in great shape, and he's also excited for the offense's future. A big reason for that revolves around new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who is implementing an outside zone scheme for the Patriots' running backs. Stevenson noted that Van Pelt's scheme is the same one he ran in college at Oklahoma. Stevenson showed his potential in 2022, rushing for 1,040 yards along with 69 receptions and 421 receiving yards. Last year, however, he dealt with a thigh bruise and high-ankle sprain before being shut down after 12 games. New England's offense isn't likely to score a lot of points in 2024, rendering Stevenson a volume-driven RB2 option, with Antonio Gibson likely poaching some third-down work.

New England Patriots first-round rookie quarterback Drake Maye has looked like a rookie so far in training camp. Working with a backup offensive line isn't doing Maye any favors, but he's also just 21 years old with only 26 collegiate starts under his belt. The former North Carolina signal-caller is now running a much different offense than he was in college where he's reading out progressions and is tasked with operating in structure. It's going to take more reps for Maye to get his timing down. He looks his best when they get him on the move and he's attacking single coverage on the outside. The jury remains out on whether Maye can eventually be the team's future under center, but for now, Maye continues to adjust to a brand-new offensive system. He's almost certainly going to open the 2024 season as the backup to veteran Jacoby Brissett.

New England Patriots quarterback Joe Milton III was selected in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft following a six-year college career. The six-foot-five gun-slinger spent his final three seasons at Tennessee and started in 16 games. Last year, he completed 64.5% of his passes for 2,769 yards, 20 touchdowns, and five interceptions and added six touchdowns as a runner. He's been recognized for his rocket arm, but accuracy has been a concern throughout his career. However, according to Evan Lazar of Patriots.com, he has had a promising start to training camp. "With most of the attention on Brissett and Maye, Milton has put together a solid start to camp," Lazar wrote. "He has the liveliest arm I've ever seen in person, and that's not hyperbole. Milton's arm strength shrinks the field, and his drive throws are more impressive than his deep ball." While this is a positive report, the Patriots also added veteran Jacoby Brissett this offseason and drafted North Carolina's Drake Maye in the first round of April's draft, so he has almost no opportunity for playing time.