6 Winners (and 3 Losers) From Patriots' First Joint Practice vs. Eagles

FOXBORO --- You can't really pick which team wins a joint practice. There's always so much going on that you can't really favor one side over the other.

But for the New England Patriots, joint practices are easy to pick which players won or lost the day. From the defensive backs shining in 11s to some mishaps on the offensive depth chart, the Patriots had some players who looked good ... and a few who struggled against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Before the practice began, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel sung the praises of the Eagles. He mentioned how it could be a good test for the Patriots heading into what will soon turn into their second preseason matchup.

"This is a very good football team. It has been for quite some time," Vrabel said. "They're really good at the line of scrimmage, big physical lines of scrimmage. Certainly, an excellent quarterback. They're well-coached, good defensive scheme, so I think this'll be a really good measuring stick just to see where we're at this point in camp, and how we can respond."

Ultimately, it was a positive day for the Patriots. Here are some of the players that helped them get to that result (and a few who didn't have their best practices of camp):

WINNER: QB Drake Maye

Jul 25, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) under center at training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Drake Maye, have a day! The third-year quarterback was on fire against a stout Eagles secondary, opening up team drills with 13-straight completions. It wasn't until a two-minute drill at the end of practice where Romeo Doubs dropped a pass and ended Maye's perfect streak.

It was a practice filled with plenty of nice tosses. Maye connected with 10 different players, included a Tom Brady-to-Randy Moss-like play to Doubs -- who jumped over Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell in the process. Throwing the ball was easy today.

"There's definitely been some challenges but he's very special and he makes my job a lot easier. A lot easier," Brown said after practice. "Just learning how he sees the game and getting on the same page. ... We'll continue to try to keep working at that."

WINNER: WR A.J. Brown

When Brown lined up against Mitchell for their first 1-on-1 rep of the day, the buzz in the crowd was palpable. Despite Mitchell getting the better of Brown on the play (with a little bit of jersey tugging), it was one of the receiver's best days since arriving in New England.

Brown caught all seven passes thrown his way, including an impressive deep ball down the right sideline in 11s. He was explosive all practice and has clearly built a budding chemistry with his 23-year-old quarterback.

"We had a good day," Brown said. "You know, there will always be some stuff that we need to improve on, and no day is perfect. You know, no matter how successful today may look, it’s always something to improve on. And tomorrow we have to come out with the same intensity and continue to get better."

WINNER: DT Leonard Taylor III

Overall, it wasn't the greatest day for the Patriots' run defense. But Taylor, in his first training camp in New England, had an excellent day during 1-on-1 reps. I had Taylor down for two decisive wins coming from the interior, one of them coming against Eagles backup center Jake Majors.

WINNER: LB K.J Britt

Jul 25, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots linebacker K.J. Britt (35) walks to the practice fields at training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Britt stood out in the preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts, stuffing a run before punching the football out of Anthony Richardson's hands. On Wednesday, he got a larger leash with the starting defense and continued to make strong plays.

Against the Eagles' starting offense, Britt (alongside rookie Namdi Obiazor) got plenty of reps with the top unit. On an Eagles running play, Britt came flying in and blow up the play for a clear TFL.

WINNER: S Craig Woodson

The Patriots picked off Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts three times today, and five times overall. It was a fantastic day for the secondary, but mainly Woodson. The second-year safety nabbed a pair of interceptions in practice and also recorded a would-be sack during a two-minute drill.

"I mean, he's been having a phenomenal camp in my opinion," Kevin Byard told reporters. "Two takeaways today, so I mean, can't get no better than that."

WINNER: S John Saunders Jr.

Another one of those interceptions fell into the hands of another second-year safety. Saunders, who came into the day with three interceptions already this summer (one in a preseason game, two in practice), came down with his fourth and has started to stack days up. There's real conversation about whether the former Ole Miss Rebel can push his way onto the 53-man roster now.

"He's a baller. ... Seeing him in this training camp, he's learning," Byard also said. "He's still learning, but at the end of the day, he has the unique ability to take the ball away, and I think those are certain things that you truly can't coach.

"And I think he's really just taking advantage every time opportunity that he gets. And I'm looking forward to him getting more opportunities and taking the ball away."

LOSER: RB Hassan Haskins

With an opening for the third running back job, every snap matters. Haskins, who's in that competition, had the ball punched out during an early 11s rep. The veteran has been making strides offensively, but Lan Larison and Jam Miller both had productive days, potentially eating into Haskins' playing time.

LOSER: TE Jack Westover

Jun 10, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Jack Westover (37) arrives at the practice field for minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Patriots just released Mitch Van Vooren from a crowded tight end room, so there isn't much breathing room when it comes to that position. For Westover, he didn't have a great showing. During team drills, the young fullback/tight end hybrid dropped a wide open pass in the flat. He ended the day with a lone reception with the third offense.

LOSER: OT Marcus Bryant

Bryant was on an upward trend this summer, even getting snaps at the top left tackle spot. Today? He struggled against a fierce Philly front seven. He lost twice during his 1-on-1 reps, but remained at left tackle with the backup offense.

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