When discussing his new-look wide receiver room, Drake Maye initially described it with one word.
“Crowded.”
Moments later, the Patriots quarterback corrected himself.
“Competitive.”
“I think they’re continuing to get better and better each and every day, and they’re kinda— We got a crowded room, and I think they realize that the only thing to make us—the room even better, is to keep making plays,” he said. “I wouldn’t even say crowded; it’s just a competitive room— is the biggest thing.”
The first word wasn’t wrong.
After trading for A.J. Brown and signing Romeo Doubs in free agency, the Patriots suddenly have one of their deepest wide receiver rooms in years. Brown and Doubs join a group that already included DeMario “Pop” Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, Kyle Williams, Mack Hollins and Efton Chism III, giving seven receivers a legitimate case to make the initial 53-man roster despite teams typically only carrying five or six.
But it’s the second word Maye used that better captures the mindset inside the room.
“Iron sharpens iron at the end of the day. So when you’ve got guys like A.J., Pop, Mack – from top down, these dudes can play,” second-year wideout Kyle Williams said. “So it just forces you to come out here and compete at a higher level and not have any slack in your game.”
That “iron sharpens iron” mentality has become a common theme inside the receiver room.
Mack Hollins, who led Patriots receivers with 657 offensive snaps last season and finished second behind only Stefon Diggs with 65 targets and 46 receptions, has spent most of training camp working with backup quarterback Tommy DeVito. The veteran has embraced the competition, using the same phrase to describe the group.
“It’s the iron sharpens iron kind of mentality. You get a lot of great guys in one room, all you can do is get better, or you get left behind,” he said. “This room is like, alright, cool, we’re all just going to get better then. We’re going to find out who’s the best.”
Brown, Doubs and Douglas have consistently worked as the starting three-receiver group throughout camp. The competition throughout the group, however, continues to raise the standard for everyone involved.
“Just setting the standard high. Just fortunate to be around guys like A.J. and Mack, who’ve got a ton of experience and just skillful players — and Kayshon and DeMario and Kyle,” Doubs said. “It just keeps us real detailed in everything that we do, and just making sure that we stay on our P’s and Q’s.”
“That makes the room better,” added Douglas. “All the depth that we have and the competition, man, it just makes the next person better. Like I’ve been saying since last year, our room has been stacked, and that’s been making the next person better.”
The Patriots could carry all seven into the regular season. They carried eight receivers on the initial 53-man roster last season (Javon Baker, Kendrick Bourne, Boutte, Chism, Diggs, Douglas, Hollins and Williams) before eventually releasing Baker and Bourne.
That’s a good problem to have when talking about depth at one of the most important positions in the game. The receivers have embraced the talent around them and understand that the competition will only make the group better.
“As I’m starting to understand the NFL, I think every year is going to be like that. That’s kind of a mindset that I feel like I’ve adjusted to. Every year, all of us are competing. We all want to play, and we all want to make plays. That’s just the nature of the NFL,” Chism said. “I’m excited for it. I appreciate it. I think competition makes us all better. We’re all trying to make each other better each and every day.”
“There is competition every year. We’ve got two great guys that came in this offseason,” added Boutte. “We had some guys here already. But like I said, there is competition every year. So just try not to get lost in the sauce of who’s all around and make the most of your opportunities.”
How the receiving corps shakes out will remain one of the biggest storylines throughout training camp as the Patriots work toward finalizing their 53-man roster at the end of the month. But regardless of who makes the final cut, the receivers believe the competition and accountability in the room will continue to bring out the best in everyone.
“We may not have the biggest names, but guys are just full of grit. Full of grit and come to work each and every day,” Brown said. “We all hold each other accountable. It’s fun. It’s a great group.”
