‘We are the future:’ Patriots rookie closer Drake Maye TD

FOXBOROUGH – Three seconds.

That’s what it took for six Patriots starters to make the memory of a lifetime. That’s what it took to show everyone the potential this franchise possesses.

For three seconds with 2:00 left in the second quarter, the Patriots had every offensive rookie drafted (other than Joe Milton III) on the field. At this point, Drake Maye received the snap in a shotgun formation and faked the handoff to linebacker JaMychal Hasty.

In an instant, the defensive players bit on the run and the seas parted on the right side of the field. That’s when Maye, sitting back at the 9-yard line, took off and ran into the end zone for the first touchdown of his NFL career in Thursday night’s preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

As she ran through the end zone, Maye was met by fellow rookie Ja’Lynn Polk, and the two simultaneously jumped for a chest shot. Soon, the quarterback was greeted by rookie guard Layden Robinson and rookie forward Caedan Wallace. Rookie tight end Jaheim Bell wasn’t far behind. It was the same for rookie wide receiver Javon Baker.

This spring, the Patriots spent seven of their eight draft picks on offensive linemen in hopes of transforming their offense to new heights. On Thursday night, six of those rookies were on the field at the same time and magic happened.

“It was great. It was great,” head coach Jerod Mayo said. “Look, we were hoping that these guys could grow together and develop together and we have a good core of guys going forward and that’s kind of what we set out to do.”

After the Patriots’ 14-13 loss, fellow rookies shined in the locker room. The group of offensive rookies impressed their fellow veterans and left Gillette Stadium Thursday night confident they will be part of an improved Patriots offense.

“It’s a great time,” Maye said. “We spend a lot of time here at the rookie meetings. In the spring, it was just us. It was definitely cool to have those guys there, I think one of the first things we did was chest bump JP (Polk). It was cool to get out there with some of the guys who are in the same place going through the same thing. It’s a fun time for us – a moment I’ll probably never forget.”

Here’s a look at that touchdown from the eyes of the rookies who were on the field:

Jaheim Bell, tight end

Bell was lined up in a 3-point stance alongside fellow tight end Mitchell Wilcox. When the ball was snapped, he immediately ran and blocked Eagles rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.

As Maye started to run, she lunged at Bell. The seventh-round pick was able to isolate his man and prevent him from getting to the quarterback.

“Once I hear what I need to hear (on the call), I just block it and process it and run the play,” Bell said. “That block over there, it’s very simple. It’s not a kill block. It’s fundamental for Drake to read and I ran that play and he got into the end zone.”

Earlier this offseason, Bell said he hoped to make an impact for the Patriots. The rookie said the game is a sign of things to come for this year’s draft class.

“I mean, hell, they drafted us all together. I just feel like we’re the future,” Bell said. “To be in that touchdown all together, that means a lot. This is our sketch class. It shows what the future will look like for us. “

Layden Robinson, right guard

Robinson didn’t start the game, but the rookie was inserted into the lineup at right guard on Maye’s second drive. On this play, he was part of the offensive decoy. When the ball was snapped, the Eagles defensive linemen acted like they were trying to stop a run up the middle. Robinson blocked defensive tackle PJ Mustipher, pushing him to the turf.

“Just do my job. That’s my focus. You try not to think about it too much when you’re on the court, just take it game by game,” Robinson said. “Just the ball and you hit somebody, just hit the guy, move him quickly where he wants to go or get him somewhere he doesn’t want to go. That’s the thing about that song. This is a really special moment.”

A fourth-round pick, Robinson had a good training camp and could one day be part of Maye’s starting offensive line.

“It was really good because it creates great morale for the team in general. We’re just happy to have Drake score his first NFL touchdown,” Robinson said. “It’s a big problem for all of us. Not just him. We’re happy to put it in the end zone. This is his welcome to the NFL moment.”

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 fumbled to get Ringo back into the end zone.

Baker even acted like he was going to run into the back left corner of the end zone, bringing Ringo further away from where Maye was running. The receiver said his mindset was simple.

“Honestly, dominate my man, take (away) the ball. That’s it. Just don’t let the corner hit the ball,” Baker said. “I’m proud that everything is a receiver. Just blocking a guy is the mentality. It’s your receiver mindset. I take pride in everything I do with football.”

A fourth-round pick, Baker caught Maye’s first pass of the game Thursday. He feels the closer this draft class gets, the better the Patriots will ultimately be.

“It was cool for sure, being with the guys I was drafted (with), the same class as me. Great experience,” Baker said. “The tying process — that’s what we need as an offense, honestly. As a freshman class, as much as we recruited on offense, we have to come together and once we commit and click, it should all be up from there.”

Caedan Wallace, tackle

Like Robinson, Wallace was brought into the game during Maye’s second drive. He replaced Chuks Okorafor at right tackle. On the snap, Robinson blocked the player, Mustopher, who was in front of Wallace. That allowed the play to reach the second level and block Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr., clearing a bigger hole for Maye.

While blocking Trotter, Wallace pushed his man into Eagles safety Tristin McCollum, which created a bigger gap.

“Deal with the first level first and block it from exiting—if it eventually exits,” Wallace explained. “It kind of happened today when I was able to make sure my errant guy was gone and get to level two. Make sure (Maye) had a nice little way to get in there.”

A third-round pick, the Patriots were impressed with Wallace’s football IQ and athleticism. He’s been practicing at both left and right tackle this summer. If all goes well, it will protect Maye for years.

“It’s huge,” Wallace said of being on the field with all the starters for the touchdown. “It’s great to be on the court with Drake, to be at practice with him, to go out to the game and get things done. It was cool.”

Ja’Lynn Polk, receiver

Polk was lined up as the Patriots slot receiver in the game. Directly in front of him was veteran Eagles cornerback Avonte Maddox. When the ball was snapped, Polk acted like he was going to run a route to get Maddox to back off. As soon as Maye took off, Polk blocked the cornerback in the end zone.

“The goal of every game is just to win. Whether it’s a block or you have a specific route. Just being very critical and having 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 understanding that if you want to make plays, you have to do that and make plays for your teammates without the ball in your hands. Just being that unselfish guy, going out there and doing what I have to do to help the team win.”

As Maye crossed the goal line, he pretended to be on a basketball court and tossed the football as if he were going for a layup. After that, the first person he celebrated with was this second-round pick.

“It was pretty cool. Just to be there to experience it,” Polk said. “It’s something we’ve all dreamed of – just to be there. We were just watching the game like when we were kids and cheering each other on.

“It’s wonderful. A bunch of great guys who are committed here every day to come to work and change this thing.”

For the Patriots, that’s what this draft class is all about. Thursday night, for three seconds, their impact was felt.