DeMario Douglas was arguably the Patriots’ best receiver over the last two seasons, and he hasn’t missed a beat in Josh McDaniels’s offense.
Through four days of Patriots training camp, Douglas has stuck out among New England’s revitalized receiver unit. He’s been a security blanket for Drake Maye out of the slot, and he had possibly his best practice of camp on Saturday.
Douglas threw his name in the running for play of the camp when he connected with Maye on a deep ball during the 11 on 11 period on Saturday. Maye extended the play, rolling out of the pocket to find Douglas, who improvised a downfield route when the play broke down.
The deep connection got a rise out of the large crowd attending the weekend practice.
Douglas also found a soft spot in the Patriots’ defense at another point in practice, coming across the field and beating his primary defender while staying underneath the safety, breaking down towards him.
Even with the addition of Stefon Diggs in the offseason and the emergence of rookie pass-catcher Kyle Williams, Douglas will still undoubtedly play a major role in New England’s offense this season. Not only is he skilled and growing as a receiver, but he also works effectively out of the slot, which has long been a valuable part of McDaniels’s offensive system.
Earlier in the offseason, Douglas admitted he “loves” McDaniels’s offense based on his initial reactions to the playbook and film. And it certainly seems as though he’s gaining even more confidence in it as camp goes on.
Douglas showed flashes of promise in his first two seasons in the league, totaling 1,182 yards and three touchdowns across his 31 career games. Under McDaniels, and with other offensive threats like Diggs around to keep defenses honest, Douglas could be a candidate for a breakout player, not just for the Patriots, but across the NFL.
As long as he has the trust of Maye, Douglas should see plenty of targets in 2025.
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