While the marquee attraction during the New England Patriots' joint practices with the Philadelphia Eagles was wide receiver AJ Brown facing his former teammates, Mike Vrabel and the coaching staff were likely looking at other players on the roster, trying to see how they stack up against a Super Bowl contender.
As is always the case in joint practices between two teams of this caliber, certain players stood out above the rest, while others wilted in the face of stern, honest competition.
A few Patriots players managed to shine, while others will try to put this day behind them and get back to work before their Week 2 matchup.
Winners and Losers from New England Patriots' joint practice with Eagles
Winner: S Craig Woodson
Woodson picked off Jalen Hurts twice in 11-on-11 drills, further cementing his claim to one of the starting safety spots. After not recording an interception during his rookie season, Woodson seems to have made the required adjustments to become much better at picking the ball off.
Woodson and Kevin Byard could become one of the league's best safety duos if the Cal product can carry those training camp performances to regular season games.
Loser: QB Jalen Hurts
The Woodson interceptions were two of three picks Hurts threw on the day. While the Super Bowl-winning quarterback is normally fairly turnover-averse, Hurts has been struggling with getting the timing down for new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion.
Hurts will be better than this in the regular season, but he is not playing like someone New England will need to worry about when looking at Super Bowl opponents from the NFC.
New England Patriots QB Drake Maye looked sharp at joint practice
Winner: QB Drake Maye
Maye hasn't been lights-out this offseason, as his accuracy has come and gone while working on his connection with Brown. Wednesday was a much better day for No. 10, who went 15/18 in 11-on-11 drills and completed passes to nine different receivers.
Maye linked up with Brown a few times during the day, one of which was ultimately dropped and one of which was hauled in for what would have been a big gain. Overall, Maye hasn't shown many worrying things that will get fans nervous about 2026 as a whole.
Loser: OG Alijah Vera-Tucker
If there was one area where Philadelphia got the better of New England, it was in the trenches. Will Campbell and Caleb Lomu both lost some reps in one-on-ones, and beat reporter Andrew Callahan listed Vera-Tucker as having some "rough losses."
Eagles defensive tackle Moro Ojomo was reportedly beating Vera-Tucker like a drum. While he was a solid lineman with the New York Jets, he has suffered major injuries in three of the last four seasons. Have they caught up to him?
Winner: C Jared Wilson
The Vera-Tucker signing did enable the Patriots to kick Wilson over to his collegiate center spot, and he has benefited from that move after an up-and-down showing at guard last year.
Wilson won both of his one-on-one pass rush reps, including one against fellow Georgia alum Jordan Davis despite weighing about 50 pounds less. Wilson, looking solid at center, could give a unit with some question marks a much-needed dose of stability.
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