Drake or Bust: Five Questions As Patriots Training Camp Starts

The wait is over, and this year it feels especially exciting. Patriots training camp has arrived, offering the team—and its fans—a chance to finally turn the page on back-to-back dysfunctional seasons.

Camp officially opened Wednesday, and despite the 4–13 record the past two years, expectations are surprisingly high.

Free agency is behind us. The draft is complete. The “voluntary” minicamps are in the past.

Now, it’s time to see what this new-look Patriots roster can actually do.

Mike Vrabel has taken the reins as head coach. Drake Maye enters camp – for the first time – as the clear-cut starting quarterback. Rookie Will Campbell hopes to be the solution to the Patriots' left tackle woes and he has vowed to protect Maye’s blindside with his life. Stefon Diggs gives New England its first true WR1 since Julian Edelman. Rookies TreVeyon Henderson and Kyle Williams give the offense a home-run-hitting dimension they haven't had since maybe Randy Moss, while the defense gets a jolt with the return of Christian Barmore and key additions like Milton Williams and Carlton Davis.

Here are the top five questions I have as training camp gets under way and going into the season:

Will Drake Maye make a Year 2 leap?

This is the big question. The season hinges on Maye. As much as Jerod Mayo and his staff babied Maye last year, this staff has gone to the other extreme this year and built the team around the second-year quarterback. and removed any obstacles or distractions (i.e. Joe Milton III). The entire draft was geared to helping and protecting Drake Maye.

We've seen what's possible in Year 2 with some NFL quarterbacks. Patrick Mahomes won MVP in his second year as a starter. Josh Allen was an MVP runner-up. Trevor Lawrence won a playoff game. Joe Burrow reached the Super Bowl. Justin Herbert threw for over 5,000 yards and 38 touchdowns.

But not everyone improves in their second year. Just look at Zach Wilson, Kenny Pickett, Mac Jones, Anthony Richardson, and C.J. Stroud.

Which category will Drake Maye fit into remains to be seen.

Expectations have been very high—even I’m one of Maye's biggest believers, and I think the hype is a bit much. Some are predicting 10 wins and a playoff berth. I've heard predictions as high as 12 wins. But this team won only one game last season with Maye starting from beginning to end, and that came against a Bears team that surrendered nine sacks to the Patriots’ defense.

Maye has a new head coach and a new offensive coordinator. Last year was a wasted year under Mayo and former offensive coordinator, Alex Van Pelt. There was nothing to be learned from it. Essentially, Maye will almost be like a rookie again this season.

What he did learn is he will need to do a better job protecting the ball. In 12 starts, he threw 10 interceptions and fumbled 9 times. The offensive line should be vastly improved and the team should not be playing as much from behind, so that should, in and of itself, create fewer opportunities for predictability and, thus, turnovers.

Durability is another concern. Maye suffered at least one confirmed concussion last season—and likely a second. His aggressive playing style, paired with a coaching staff eager to use his mobility more than Van Pelt did, is a bit concerning. If the Patriots want him to survive the season, they'll need to strike a careful balance between designed runs and self-preservation.

Leadership with Maye, though, is not a question. Teammates respect him. They believe in him. Maye can talk the talk. Now is the time to see if he can walk the walk.

Can Will Campbell play left tackle at the NFL level?

One of the most vocal supporters of Maye has been rookie Will Campbell, the Patriots’ fourth overall pick. Minutes after getting drafted, he told NFL Network’s Jamie Erdahl, “I’m going to fight and die to protect him with everything I got.”

By now, we’ve all heard the criticisms: Campbell’s arms are too short, his wingspan is below average, and he struggled in college against elite pass rushers. Some have compared him to a T-Rex. But on the field is where he will get the opportunity to silence his critics.

Drake Maye’s success begins with his protection—and Campbell’s ability to hold down the left tackle spot will be central to that. If Campbell falters, the ripple effects will be felt across the entire offensive line. A move inside to guard would reshape the roster and lead to some tough personnel decisions--involving top draft picks from the last few seasons.

The Patriots have plenty of depth at interior line. The Patriots have invested heavily there with players like Caedan Wallace, Layden Robinson, and Cole Strange. What they don’t have is depth at tackle. If Campbell has to slide inside, the Patriots will be right back to square one with their tackle situation next offseason, and likely have to lose a quality young guard or two.

Who Plays Left Guard?

Until Campbell proves he can't do it, for now he is the starting left tackle. Morgan Moses is set at right tackle. Mike Onwenu is entrenched at right guard—and being paid like one of the best. Garrett Bradbury is penciled in at center, with rookie Jared Wilson waiting in the wings.

That leaves one real question mark: left guard.

Cole Strange enters camp as the frontrunner, but that’s far from a lock. His roster spot isn’t even secure. Strange is entering Year 4 of a Patriots career defined mostly by injuries and unmet expectations. The team is unlikely to pick up his fifth-year option, meaning this could be his final season in Foxboro.

Strange has taken a lot of heat for being a first-round bust, but that’s more on Bill Belichick for drafting him so early. He showed flashes during the first half of his rookie year but has played only 13 games over the past two seasons. Last year, he even took some reps at center after returning from injury.

There’s been some talk about rookie Jared Wilson competing at left guard while Bradbury holds down the center spot. Personally, I’d rather the team keep Wilson focused at center. If he’s good enough to start at guard, he’s probably good enough to beat out Bradbury outright. If that’s the case, just start him at center and cut Bradbury.

Sidy Sow is another name to watch. As a rookie, he flashed potential at right guard – especially in the run game – while Onwenu switched to right tackle. But the Patriots shifted to a zone-heavy run scheme last season, which didn’t play to his strengths. His playing time dipped, but with a new system and coaching staff, Sow could reemerge as a legitimate contender for the left guard job.

Layden Robinson feels like the odd man out, and that’s unfortunate. He’s a mauler in the run game. But his struggles in pass protection were well-documented before the draft, and those concerns have only grown louder since.

Caedan Wallace has entered into the conversation at left guard, as well. Though drafted as a tackle, Wallace may ultimately be better suited to play guard. He saw some time there during minicamp, which adds another wrinkle to the interior depth chart—and another threat to Layden Robinson’s roster spot.

And then there’s Tyrese Robinson. A former college teammate of Rhamondre Stevenson at Oklahoma, Robinson went undrafted in 2022 and has bounced around with Washington, Philadelphia, and Minnesota. He’s a long shot to make the active roster, but you never know.

My prediction? Strange will win the starting left guard job. Sow will push him and likely serve as the primary backup. I’m hoping Vrabel still sees potential in Wallace as a long-term replacement for Morgan Moses at right tackle. If that’s the case, it might preserve a roster spot for Layden Robinson, whom I still believe will be a good pro. Tyrese Robinson is a depth piece and will head to the practice squad.

But if Wallace or Jared Wilson shift inside to guard, Layden Robinson could be the odd man out—and I would hate that. He’s a physical tone-setter, and I’d hate to see that kind of player slip away because of poor roster construction.

Who do the Patriots keep at wide receiver?

The Patriots aren’t deep at wide receiver in terms of great talent—they just have a lot of bodies who have very similar skills. Most NFL teams keep between five and six receivers on the 53-man roster, which means tough decisions will need to be made.

Stefon Diggs (WR1) has amazed everyone by being ready to go at the start of training camp after suffering a torn ACL only eight months ago. He is guaranteed a roster spot.

Third-round pick Kyle Williams (WR2) will be on the roster. DeMario Douglas (WR3) should be a lock. If Kendrick Bourne (WR4) doesn't get traded, he will be on the roster.

If Mack Hollins (WR5?) is healthy, he would be a lock. But he isn't, so that may buy some time for players like Ja'Lynn Polk, Kayshon Boutte, and Javon Baker. Those three guys may be competing for one or two roster spots.

But wait. There's this undrafted rookie free agent named Efton Chism III (maybe it should be "VI", as in WR6). His camp legend is growing by the day, and some are already calling him the next Julian Edelman. If he keeps this up, it’s going to be hard to keep him off the roster. He almost certainly would not be able to pass waivers to be stashed on the practice squad.

If Chism makes the active roster AND Mack Hollins is healthy and doesn't start the season on injured reserve, then things get real interesting. Then we might see a scenario where both of last year's heavily-hyped rookie draft picks – Polk AND Baker – get cut, as well as last year's team co-leader in receiving touchdowns, Kayshon Boutte.

Personally, I'd keep Polk, Chism, and Boutte. I'd cut Baker. I'd then stash Hollins on IR to buy time, and trade Bourne for a seventh-rounder, if possible. I'd rather go with the young kids.

Can Christian Barmore regain his 2023 form?

Barmore's career trajectory skyrocketed in 2023 when he recorded 8.5 sacks and was unblockable towards the end of the season. It landed him a huge contract.

But everything changed, almost exactly, a year ago when he was diagnosed with blood clots.

Other NFL players—like David Andrews, Trey Smith, and Trent Williams—have returned from similar diagnoses and continued to play at a high level. But other athletes, like NBA player Chris Bosh, NFL offensive lineman Billy Price, and MLB pitcher Scott Oberg, weren’t so lucky. Blood clots ended their careers.

Barmore has been a full participant in offseason workouts, looks trim, and in the best shape of his career. But things could change on any given day.

If he can stay healthy, a defensive interior line featuring him and free-agent signee Milton Williams will be fun to watch—and a real problem for opposing offenses.

📣 Share this article

If you enjoyed this piece, help spread the word:

• 🐦 X (Twitter): Click to Share on X