Biggest Winners At Each Offensive Position From Patriots Minicamp
The New England Patriots wrapped up their three-day mandatory minicamp portion of the offseason this past week, and they seemed to past the test with flying colors. In what was two competitive days and one slow-paced walkthrough, the defending AFC champions had a solid trio of practices to head into the extended summer break on a high note.
Who stood out for the Patriots this past week? Did anyone help improve their standing ahead of training camp? Are the contributors from last season on pace for similar success in 2026?
That's what this is for. After three days of work, there were several players who began to stand out and string together practices. While it can be hard to evaluate each player when the pads haven't been introduced, here's some of the stars of the t-shirts and shorts practices.
QB: Drake Maye
Getting the brunt of the passing plays called for him, the MVP finalist has looked better than advertised heading into his third season. The accuracy -- which was the highest across the entire NFL a year ago -- has been on point and you'd be hard pressed to go back and find a truly bad or errant throw.
Maye has also been shining despite a tough challenge placed on him by his coaching staff. The young quarterback will break the huddle without a play call, and it's up to Maye to diagnose the defense and call the right play. Nothing has seemed out of place for the face of the franchise at this point in time.
RB: Lan Larison
Larison stacked onto his productive OTA showings with another strong week as a backup running back. Right now, the opening for the third job is up in the air, but Larison has begun to throw his hat into the ring more than one time.
The second-year player appears to be fully healthy from a broken foot that landed him on IR last summer, and could be a really valuable chess piece in the passing game -- both as a receiver and a blocker. Add in any possible snaps he takes as a kick returner and watch out.
WR: A.J. Brown
If you're trading two draft picks, including a first rounder, you better hope the return you get is worth it. It's been less than two weeks since Brown was traded to the Patriots from Philadelphia, and he's looked the part so far. Working his way up as the team's top option at receiver, Brown has proved his worth almost instantly.
The connection with Maye has been at the forefront. There have been multiple routes that appeared to be great coverage on Brown. Both times, the former All-Pro made impressive catches -- a back-shoulder grab against Kindle Vildor and a leaping snag over Craig Woodson -- to haul in a touchdown.
TE: Hunter Henry
With Julian Hill going down for the season with an undisclosed injury, a lot more stress is going to be put on Henry's shoulders. Entering his sixth season with the Patriots, and 11th overall, the veteran tight end remains a valuable piece of this offense.
Take this week for example. He caught four passes in the first minicamp practice, most of those snaps coming in the red zone. In the final practice, he caught a touchdown with the starting offense. While the younger tight ends (Eli Raridon, CJ Dippre, Tanner Arkin) still learn the ropes, Henry has shown he still has it at age 31.
OL: Caleb Lomu
Drafted after a fantastic college career at left tackle, Lomu has been spotted at several positions across the offensive line. Since hearing his name called by New England, the first rounder has spent time in some capacity at left tackle, right tackle and left guard.
That versatility can come in handy, both now and in the season. Veteran tackle Morgan Moses didn't play in all three of the practices in what was a load management decision, and left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker was limited in some aspects. Lomu stepped in to play both of those spots this week.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as Biggest Winners At Each Offensive Position From Patriots Minicamp.
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This story was originally published June 13, 2026 at 7:30 AM.