Drake Maye Praises Stefon Diggs As ‘Awesome Teammate’

Drake Maye and Stefon Diggs have already begun to build their connection on and off the field. And that starts in the locker room.

After the first day of mandatory minicamp, the New England Patriots quarterback praised the veteran wide receiver and explained his excitement over getting to play with someone of this caliber.

“He seems like an awesome teammate,” Maye said. “He’s my next-door-to-my-locker locker mate, so he’s one down from beside me. We talk all the time.

“He’s a veteran in this league. He’s made a lot of plays, played in a lot of big games, so he’s just an awesome voice for this receiver room, for this offense. He’s played in some playoff games; he’s had some big games,” he continued. “And I think once he kind of recovers — he’s getting back out there — I’m looking forward to being able to throw him a few footballs. It’s always good to have a guy like that on your team.”

Despite being a new addition to the team, Diggs is already stepping up and being a leader in the wide receiver room.

“He doesn’t let up for nobody. If you don’t get your depth on a route, he’s going to say something,” DeMario Douglas revealed, adding that Diggs and Mack Hollins are “good leaders who are not scared to say something (and) correct what needs to be corrected.”

“They push,” he added. “They make sure you’re on your stuff, for sure.”

But, even more so, Diggs leads by example.

“He works hard every day,” Douglas explained. “Behind the scenes, he’s actually working, and I feel like he’s bringing along the young guys. Everybody in that (receiver) room, he’s bringing everybody along.”

And he’s working hard to make his presence known, even though he can’t take part in everything due to his ACL injury.

“He’s just trying to figure out where everything is and what his role is, and making sure as we add those situations — third down, no huddle, and red zone — that he’s staying up on it and working hard in his rehab,” head coach Mike Vrabel said. “Certain drills he can be out there and there’s certain drills he won’t be, but I think he’s engaged and I like his energy.”