DeMario Douglas is popping.
The Patriots wide receiver, who stood out during training camp practices against his New England teammates the last two weeks, continued his upwards trajectory with a strong showing during a joint practice against the Washington Commanders on Wednesday.
Douglas once again looked like Drake Maye’s top target, catching the first pass of competitive periods and quickly showing his ability after the catch. All told, Douglas helped Maye go 15-for-19 as the offense more than held its own against the Commanders, according to Patriots insider Phil Perry.
On the latest episode of the Patriots Talk podcast, fellow insider Tom E. Curran praised Douglas for his showing and consistency. The early trend has Curran believing the shifty slot receiver will play the biggest role in New England’s passing game.
🔊 Patriots Talk Podcast: Drake Maye & Patriots offense a ‘well-oiled machine’ in joint practice vs. Commanders | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
“It’s absolutely clear he’s kind of the hub of the offense in a way that (Stefon) Diggs probably won’t be,” Curran said. “Diggs is going to get his catches. But I think, if you look by the end of the year who’s going to get more targets and more opportunities to handle the ball, if he holds up, that’ll be Pop Douglas. He was active.”
Douglas was understandably enthusiastic with how the Patriots fared against a team who played in the NFC Championship Game last season. His belief in the group, much like the group’s belief in the third-year receiver, continues to grow.
“I loved what we did today,” Douglas said after the joint practice. “It felt good to go against somebody else. Just to see how close we are, and how we play together.”
From an individual standpoint, Douglas isn’t about to give any predictions about his impending production. That’s not allowed under head coach Mike Vrabel, after all. But after seeing so much green grass in front of him against Washington, Douglas knows his offseason work with Maye and others is paying off early on.
“It just shows that the hard work off the field in the offseason do come true,” Douglas said regarding his connection with Maye. “We harped on that, and it’s working.”
Also in this episode:
- Mike Vrabel breaks up fight, leaves bloodied
- Drake Maye vs. Jayden Daniels
- Christian Barmore’s best day of camp
Read the full article here
