Patriots Training Camp Studs/Duds Day 5: Rookie Tyquan Thornton Flashes Speed

FOXBORO – After a one day hiatus the New England Patriots were back on the practice fields for another day of training camp, this time suited up in pads.

Both the players and fans were ready for contact, as the eagerness to hit somebody else was through the roof. Here are some of the highs and lows of Monday’s practice session:

STUD: DT Christian Barmore

The second-year defensive tackle loved the ability to hit today, being a monster on the defensive side of the ball. During one-on-one drills against the offensive line, Barmore racked up three wins against rookie Cole Strange, Drew Desjarlais and Kody Russey. A big jump in his second year year could spell an end to the Patriots[ run-defense woes.

DUD: CB Malcolm Butler

Called for two end-zone pass breakups, today was a rough day for the veteran. Butler was on the defending end of two deep balls caught by DeVante Parker. The long ball was showcased today and with the return of three defensive backs (Jabrill Peppers, Jonathan Jones, Myles Bryant), Butler did not help his cause.

STUD: Deep Threat Wideouts

Players like Parker, Nelson Agholor and Tyquan Thornton were all big names today during practice. The two quarterbacks were able to air the ball out and both Parker and Thornton had big 40+ yard grabs during the first set of competitive drills. Agholor almost had a big chunk play, if it was not for a defensive pass inference call on Terrence Mitchell. Overall, a good day if you’re a fan of explosive football.

DUD: Mental Errors

The first day in pads always gets an extra jolt of energy from the players and the over-eagerness from both sides of the ball was evident on Monday. Eight laps were ran during practice, including one by Isaiah Wynn (false start) and Daniel Ekuale (neutral zone infraction). While these will hopefully be cleaned up, the penalty flags were certainly raining down.

STUD: RB/WR Ty Montgomery

Montgomery is having an explosive training camp so far. He has been the top choice to return kicks so far and his ability to factor into the offensive game plan will help fill the void left by James White. He has received a number of reps with the starting unit and only projects to get more as the summer continues.

DUD: CB Joejuan Williams

While Jake Bailey, a 2019 draft selection, inked a four-year extension earlier this morning, another 2019 draft pick did not help his roster chances. Williams struggled to maintain rookie Thornton on a number of deep passes and while he has more experience in the Patriots system than others, his off-and-on start to camp won’t bode well for the former Vanderbilt Commodore.

Once again, the padded Patriots will suit up adjacent to Gillette Stadium tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. with fans being able to attend starting at 8 a.m.