Biggest Winners From Patriots First Open OTA Practice

New England football is back, kind of. The pads haven't come on and the practices remain optional for now, but the defending AFC champions returned to the practice field for the first time in front of media this year.

It wasn't the first time the Patriots had an OTA practice, but reporters were able to watch for the first time. Some players (like wide receiver Kayshon Boutte and cornerback Christian Gonzalez) weren't in attendance, opening up the door for some of the younger players on the roster to make an impact.

"I would say that yesterday's first OTA was much better than last year's," head coach Mike Vrabel said. "It was good to see Romeo (Doubs) out there. It was good to see some of the new faces, some of the young guys. It was good to see Kyle Williams get some opportunities, and Chiz (Efton Chism III)."

Don't overreact, that's not needed at all, but there were a few players that stood out during the 90-minute session that I'd consider winners of the non-padded practice.

RB Lan Larison

Jul 28, 2025; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots running back Lan Larison (34) heads to the practice fields for training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson, there's a bit of a question mark surrounding who will be the Patriots' RB3 this year. Terrell Jennings ran the ball hard last season, while rookies Jam Miller and Myles Montgomery both come to New England with votes of confidence.

Instead, it was the second-year Larison who popped the most out of the backfield. After missing all of last season (minus the preseason) opener with a foot injury, Larison was one of three Patriots running backs to catch a pass during the session. He did drop a pass, but was involved pretty often.

When he wasn't running routes, he was consistently repping with some of the top offensive units. It's a good sign for a player currently sitting on the outside of the roster looking in.

WR DeMario Douglas

Oct 5, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Demario Douglas (3) before the game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

The Patriots threw the ball plenty of times, and no one caught it more than Douglas. The fourth-year wideout is fighting for a job as the team's top slot option, and took one giant leap towards doing so. He caught four passes, the most by any Patriots player, and was used in plenty of packages.

His biggest highlight of the day was a crossing route that would have been counted as a touchdown in a game. Entering a contract season, Douglas has seemingly refined his chemistry with Drake Maye.

OG Andrew Rupcich

New England Patriots guard Andrew Rupcich at the team's community day earlier this month. | Ethan Hurwitz / Patriots On SI

Alijah Vera-Tucker signed a hefty contract in free agency to come be New England's top left guard. But injuries have derailed him in the past, and the Patriots are taking it slow with him. In his place was Rupcich, the relatively unknown backup who spent most of last season on New England's practice squad.

The Patriots are pretty thin at guard depth entering the summer, and Rupcich seems to be the top option as the left guard backup, often rotating in with the top unit alongside Jared Wilson and Will Campbell. We are ways away from actually being able to see the offensive linemen hit each other in pads, but Rupcich is trending up in shorts.

CB Karon Prunty

May 9, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Karon Prunty (21) does a drill with wide receiver Cameron Dorner (88) during the New England Patriots rookie camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

With top cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis out, it allowed some of the backups at the position to be thrust into larger roles. One of those was Wake Forest rookie Karon Prunty, who had the biggest play of the practice.

Repping against the top offense, Prunty was covering second-year wideout Kyle Williams on the sideline. Maye left an out route too far in, and the fifth round pick Prunty snagged it out of the air. The rookie raced down the sideline for a would-be pick six.

Prunty's spot on the roster isn't in jeopardy, though stacking days in the spring can help quell the notion that the Patriots have reached on the rookie in the fifth round.

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