Jerod Mayo uses one word to describe Drake Maye's preseason

“He’s out here trying to get better each and every day.”

Drake Maye had a rough practice against the Eagles’ pass rush. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

The Patriots are opting for the “slow and steady” approach this preseason with their potential franchise quarterback in Drake Maye.

The third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft has largely been entrenched as the No. 2 quarterback on New England’s depth chart this summer, with Jacoby Brissett earning most of his reps during camp with the Patriots’ projected starters.

Even in New England’s preseason opener against the Panthers last week, Maye only played seven snaps, with most of the reps at Gillette Stadium allocated toward Bailey Zappe and Joe Milton.

Granted, the Patriots shouldn’t necessarily rush to throw Maye in against NFL competition in September, given New England’s O-line woes and the luxury of having a veteran bridge starter in place in Brissett.

But while New England has been conservative with Maye’s reps this preseason, Mayo has been impressed with what he’s seen so far from the 21-year-old QB.

“He’s been steady. I think if I was to say one word, it’s steady,” Mayo told reporters Tuesday ahead of New England’s joint practice with the Eagles. “He’s always in the building, always studying. He’s out here trying to get better each and every day. He’ll get more reps this week. If that’s the underlying question, he’ll get more reps this week.”

Even though Maye barely touched the field at Gillette Stadium last week against the Panthers, Mayo stressed that New England’s young QB gained plenty of experience from the sideline in his first taste of NFL competition.

“I would also say when he wasn’t in the game, he was still listening to the call, still taking those mental reps, which are very important,” Mayo. “I always talk to all the players, if you’re not in there, you should be getting mental reps and going through the checks in your head. He definitely did that.”

Maye had a few highlights during Tuesday’s joint practices against Philadelphia, headlined by a fantastic throw (and catch from fellow rookie Ja’Lynn Polk) with Shon Stephens in coverage.

But Mayo’s comments last week about wanting to limit Maye’s reps behind New England’s second-straight offensive linemen might have been validated on Tuesday afternoon.

Philly feasted against New England’s pass protection throughout Tuesday’s practice, with The Boston Globe’s Ben Volin charting a “half-dozen sacks” over Maye’s final two 11-on-11 periods on the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium.

While New England’s O-line woes have plagued the team over the last two seasons, Maye also stressed that he needs to be quicker once the ball is snapped.

“I got to get the ball out on early downs, can’t take sacks in two-minute,” Maye said. “Whether I feel something, or it’s from the backside or whatever, I got to get the ball out. Other than that, just try to find completions whether it’s hitting the backs, trying to do something, trying to get us moving. That’s the biggest thing.”

Even though it might take some time for Maye to carve out a starting role on this roster, the former UNC signal-caller has welcomed the good and bad that comes with navigating his first NFL training camp.

“Ups and downs,” Maye said of Tuesday’s reps. “I think in 7-on-7 I threw the football well. The first team period was OK. Great reps to learn from, great defense. They do a good job. Some big dudes up front, some different looks. It’s a great learning experience.”