Who Should I Start? A.J. Brown or Ladd McConkey

Tuesday, July 28, 8:45 AM

It has been a slow start in terms of the connection between New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye and new wide receiver A.J. Brown in three-plus days of training camp, according to Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald. Maye is 1-for-7 with an interception when targeting Brown in team drills, and his only completion was a wide-open quick out. So far, the two are far off on deeper routes. It's not what Patriots fans want to hear, but it's still very early in camp, and the two should smooth things out, especially deep down the field, which was a specialty for Maye in 2025. The Patriots gave the Philadelphia Eagles a first-round pick for the 29-year-old Brown this offseason to become their new No. 1 pass-catcher. The three-time Pro Bowler had his sixth 1,000-yard campaign in 2025 in his final year in Philly, but he also averaged a career-low 12.9 yards per catch in 15 regular-season starts. Fantasy managers are expecting Brown's ceiling to be higher in a more explosive offense this year. In early drafts, Brown is being taken as a low-end WR1 in his new home, where he should be heavily targeted by Maye.