The public portion of the New England Patriots’ 2026 training camp is over, and it ended with one of the most eventful days of the summer. Squaring off against the Philadelphia Eagles for a second straight day of joint practices, the two-hour session saw a heavy focus on the red area and therefore plenty of touchdowns.
To recap Thursday’s practice, please check out our Patriots training camp notebook. In the meantime, here is who caught our eye for better or worse.
Standout of the day
CB Marcus Jones: On a day that saw
the two defenses make up some ground on their offensive counterparts, one player stood out above the rest. After already catching one interception on Wednesday, Jones added two more against Eagles starting quarterback Jalen Hurts during Thursday’s session.
His first pick came after a Milton Williams pressure that would have been a sack in a real game setting, and saw him capitalize on a tipped catch; Jones would have returned the pick for a touchdown had the play not been blown dead. The second INT, meanwhile, saw him undercut a throw down the sideline intended for Dontayvion Wicks. The team captain toe-tapped his way to getting both feet down in bounds.
Other performances of note
WR A.J. Brown: Even though he was the target on both of Drake Maye’s interceptions on the day, Brown had another good day against his former team. Going mostly against first-team All-Pro Quinyon Mitchell, the ex-Eagle impressed. He started the day by beating Mitchell on a one-handed, toe-tap catch in the corner of the end zone in 1-on-1s and later caught three touchdowns against him in 2-on-2s. He later also drew a pass interference flag against his former teammate and hauled in two more receptions during full team work.
DT Milton Williams and DT Cory Durden: Speaking of former Eagles, Milton Williams continues to be the Patriots’ best defensive lineman and most consistent performer up front against both the pass and the run. He had a would-be sack before Marcus Jones’ interception and assisted on a tackle for loss against Saquon Barkley. Cory Durden, meanwhile, also was quite disruptive on Thursday and helped shore up the run defense. He also had a would-be sack and drew a hold on a two-point attempt during team periods.
ED Elijah Ponder: The Patriots’ edge had a better overall day than it did on Wednesday, and Elijah Ponder was a big reason why. The second-year man provided some good pressure despite working against one of the best tackle pairing in football. He had a would-be sack in 11-on-11s and even recorded a pass breakup near the goal line while covering a wheel route.
Other players worth highlighting include wide receivers Kayshon Boutte and Kyle Williams, who both had some good moments and caught impressive touchdowns from Tommy DeVito, as well as a competitive Kindle Vildor, who saw reps as a starting cornerback opposite Carlton Davis at one point. Young offensive tackles Will Campbell and Caleb Lomu, meanwhile, had their ups and downs: the former continued to be challenged by Eagles edge Jalyx Hunt’s pass rush, while the latter surrendered a would-be sack in 11-on-11s and struggled in 1-on-1s.
With the two joint sessions now in the books, the attention will turn to Saturday’s preseason game. Kickoff at Gillette Stadium is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
