The New England Patriots’ secondary is looking to generate more takeaways during training camp. After Monday’s practice moved indoors due to heavy rainfall, increased verbal banter from both the offense and defense fuels friendly competition between the two sides.
New England’s third-year safety Dell Pettus helped spark that competitive energy for the defensive backs after picking off a Drake Maye deep pass on Saturday. That turnover marked just the defense’s second interception this summer through
the first seven sessions.
“It was definitely a great feeling,” Pettus said of the pick following Monday’s practice. “Just trusting the process, the scheme and the technique. It’s something that we talk about all the time — it’s just like, do your job. You can do your job one million times, be in a good spot, and never get the ball your way. But we have a really good quarterback, so he rarely makes bad decisions.”
After the play concluded, Pettus ran toward the end zone and punted the ball over the fence in celebration of securing the first defensive takeaway since day two of summer camp. That energy stems from a conversation the safeties had before that practice.
“In that situation, I just think I was able to be in a good spot, get rewarded and make a good play,” Pettus added. “The defense needed that. We were talking about getting more takeaways at practice and getting more turnovers. And I think [the pick] was just like an energizer at practice.”
Veteran Kevin Byard led that conversation. The Patriots’ free-agency signing spent six seasons with the Tennessee Titans under Mike Vrabel, and he’s carrying the same edge and competitive mindset as his head coach does in the safety’s first year in New England.
“After those first few practices, [Byard] brought us up, and he was like, ‘We need takeaways today,’” Pettus shared. “Before we went to any competitive team activity, he said, ‘We need more takeaways; we’re going to go out here and go get the football. Forget what everybody else is talking about; forget what the coaches talk about. This is our team. This is our defensive backfield.’ And like, it’s up to us to go get it, because the coaches can’t play for us. And I told him I thought that was great to hear just because he set the tone for us that day.”
Byard acknowledged that the intensity in training camp is “heating up,” and that’s what this time of the offseason is for.
A frequent matchup this summer has been between A.J. Brown and Christian Gonzalez. Brown secured a pass from Maye under smothering coverage from Gonzalez during Monday’s seven-on-seven period and turned to the cornerback with friendly banter.
“I think it was competitive. You know, a heavy emphasis on [the] red zone,” Byard said about Monday’s session. “We got some really competitive periods, whether it was one-on-ones or team … Obviously it’s still early in training camp, so it’s a lot of back and forth. But it’s been fun. I think it’s just the competitive spirit of this team at every position and level. Offense and defense [are] just trying to get better, and I think we’re pushing each other.”
Entering his 11th year in the NFL, Byard is coming off a First-Team All-Pro selection, leading the league with seven interceptions for a new career total of 36.
Adding a ball hawk like Byard not only elevates outcomes on the field for New England in 2026 but also impacts the development of the safety corps.
“How to get the football,” Pettus said of what he’s learned from Byard thus far. “He’s such an impressive guy … But he came in week one, and he’s asking our coaches and challenging them about why we’re doing things and how that’s going to help us get the football. As a young defensive back, you always want the football, but hearing that’s his process no matter what he’s doing, it’s, ‘How am I going to get the football? What can I do to get myself in a better position to get the football?’
“I took a step back, and I was like, I don’t think I ever really thought like that … He’s really breaking it down in a science-type of way of where am I going to be and how am I putting myself in a position to get the football? Because if I can’t get the football, I’m not doing my job. You can tell he’s a veteran and why he led this league in interceptions last season. I look forward to working with him this season because I feel like all he’s going to do is help me and everybody around him be a better player.”
