FOXBOROUGH – Three seconds.
That’s how much it took for six Patriots rookies to create a memory for life. That’s how much it took to show everyone the potential this franchise has.
For three seconds beginning at 2:00 of the second quarter, the Patriots had every offensive rookie (except Joe Milton III) on the field. That’s when Drake Maye received the snap in a shotgun formation and faked the handoff to running back JaMychal Hasty.
In an instant, the defensive line attacked and the wave parted on the right side of the field. Then Maye, standing at the 9-yard line, took off and ran into the end zone to score 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 ran into fellow rookie Ja’Lynn Polk, and the two jumped simultaneously and bumped chests. Soon after, the quarterback was greeted by rookie guard Layden Robinson and rookie tackle Caedan Wallace. Rookie tight end Jaheim Bell was not far behind. The same was true for rookie receiver Javon Baker.
This spring, the Patriots spent seven of their eight draft picks on offensive players in hopes of taking their offense to new levels. On Thursday night, six of those rookies were on the field at once, and something magical happened.
“It was great. It was great,” said head coach Jerod Mayo. “We were hoping that these guys could grow and develop together and we have a good core of guys going forward and that’s pretty much what we were aiming for.”
After the Patriots’ 14-13 loss, their rookie teammates were beaming in the locker room. The group of offensive rookies impressed their experienced teammates and left Gillette Stadium on Thursday night with confidence that they will be part of an improved Patriots offense.
“It’s a great moment,” Maye said. “We spend a lot of time here at the rookie meetings. In the spring, we were alone. 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 be out there with some of the guys who are in the same situation and going through the same thing. It’s a great time for us – a moment I’ll probably never forget.”
Here’s a look at that touchdown from the perspective of the rookies who were on the field:
Jaheim Bell, Tight End
Bell was in a 3-point position next to tight end Mitchell Wilcox. When the ball was snapped, he immediately ran and blocked Eagles rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.
As Maye ran, he fired in Bell’s direction. The seventh-round pick was able to shield his opponent and prevent him from getting to the quarterback.
“Once I hear what I need to hear (on the call), I just focus on it, process it and make the play,” Bell said. “This block here is easy. It’s not a kill block. It’s easy for Drake to read and I made that play and he ran into the end zone.”
At the start of the offseason, Bell said he hoped to make an impression with the Patriots. The rookie said this game was a sign of what the future holds 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 all involved in that touchdown together, that means a lot. That’s our draft class. It shows what the future is going to look like for us.”
Layden Robinson, right guard
Robinson didn’t start the game, but the freshman was inserted into the lineup at right guard during Mayes’ second drive. In that game, he was part of the offensive feint. When the ball was snapped, the Eagles’ defensive linemen acted as if they were trying to stop a run up the middle. Robinson blocked defensive tackle PJ Mustipher and pinned him to the turf.
“I just do my job. That’s what I focus on. You try not to think about it too much when you’re on the field, you just take it play by play,” Robinson said. “Just getting off the ball and hitting somebody, just hitting the guy, getting him where he wants to go quickly or getting him where he doesn’t want to go. That’s what’s special about this play. It’s a really special moment.”
Robinson was drafted in the fourth round, had a good training camp and could one day be part of Maye’s starting offensive line.
“It was really good because it boosts the morale of the team overall. We’re just happy that Drake scored his first NFL touchdown,” Robinson said. “It’s a big deal for all of us. Not just for him. We’re happy to get him in the end zone. This is his welcome moment to the NFL.”
Javon Baker, receiver
Baker was lined up wide, outside Baker, opposite sophomore cornerback Kelee Ringo. When the ball was snapped, he ran a route and stumbled to make Ringo run backwards into the end zone.
Baker even pretended to run to the back left corner of the end zone, which put Ringo farther away from Maye. The receiver said his setup was simple.
“Honestly, I have to dominate my opponent and take the ball away. That’s all. But don’t let the cornerback tackle the ball,” Baker said. “I take pride in everything I do as a receiver. Blocking an opponent is the mentality. That’s your mentality as a receiver. I take pride in everything I do in football.”
Baker, a fourth-round pick, caught Mayes’ first pass of the game on Thursday. He believes the closer this draft class gets, the better the Patriots will ultimately be.
“It was definitely cool to be around the guys I was drafted with, from the same class as me. Cool experience,” Baker said. “The bonding process — that’s what we need on offense, honestly. As a rookie class, as many as we drafted on offense, we need to build a bond, and once we build a bond and it clicks, everything should go well from there.”
Caedan Wallace, Tackle
Like Robinson, Wallace was brought into the game during Maye’s second drive, replacing Chuks Okorafor at right tackle. At the snap, Robinson blocked Mustopher, who was in front of Wallace. This allowed the tackle to get to the second level and block Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr., creating a larger gap for Maye.
While blocking Trotter, Wallace also pushed his man into Eagles safety Tristin McCollum, widening the gap.
“Get through the first level first and block his exit – if he ever gets out,” Wallace explained. “Today, somehow, I was able to make sure my guy who was downstairs was out and got to the second level. I made sure (Maye) had a nice little way to get in there.”
Wallace, a third-round pick, has impressed the Patriots with his football IQ and athleticism. He worked out at both left tackle and right tackle this summer. If all goes well, he’ll be guarding Maye for years.
“It’s awesome,” Wallace said of being on the field with all the rookies for the touchdown. “It’s awesome to be on the field with Drake, to be with him at practice, to go to the game and make things happen. It’s been cool.”
Ja’Lynn Polk, recipient
Polk was lined up as the Patriots’ slot receiver on this play. Directly in front of him was Eagles veteran cornerback Avonte Maddox. When the ball was snapped, Polk pretended to run a route to get Maddox to back away. As soon as Maye took off running, Polk blocked the cornerback in the end zone.
“The goal every game is just to win. Whether that’s a block or you have a certain route. Just be very critical and have the mindset to 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 you have to understand that if you want to play, you have to do that and play for your teammates without having the ball in your hands. I’m just that selfless guy that goes out there and does what he has to do to help the team win.”
When Maye crossed the goal line, he pretended he was on a basketball court and rolled the football with his fingers as if he was going for a layup. Afterward, the first person he celebrated with was that second-round pick.
“It was pretty cool. Just being out there and experiencing that,” Polk said. “It’s what we all dreamed of – just being out there. Watching the game like we did when we were kids and cheering each other on.”
“It’s fantastic. A group of great people who are committed to working here every day and making a difference.”
For the Patriots, that is the goal of this draft year. On Thursday night, their influence was felt for three seconds.
