FOXBORO - DeMario Douglas has been one of the most noticeable players at Patriots training camp, and through 12 practices, the slot receiver has looked every bit like a player ready to take a bigger bite out of the offense.
Douglas, now in his fourth camp with New England, has opened this one stronger than any of the previous three. The 25-year-old has flashed before, but that early momentum has often faded once the pads come on. This summer has been different.
That showed up again Friday during the Patriots’ annual blue-white scrimmage, when Douglas caught six passes and scored two touchdowns. He worked with backup quarterbacks Tommy DeVito and Behren Morton as part of the blue team and also delivered the day’s biggest play, beating defenders down the seam for a gain of more than 40 yards on a throw from DeVito.
His camp work has drawn notice from Mike Vrabel, who pointed to Douglas’ professionalism and consistency after a season in which the receiver’s role and production both dipped.
"I think the most impressive thing was that he was ready whether he got 12 snaps or he got 30 snaps," Mike Vrabel said on Tuesday regarding Douglas' 2025 season. "Some of his best plays were his ability to not catch the football and go and finish, and he made plenty of plays for us, but his attitude remained really good."
Douglas’ 2025 numbers reflected a quieter year. He finished with career lows in receptions, at 31, and receiving yards, at 447. Part of that came with Stefon Diggs occupying slot snaps, limiting Douglas’ chances to work in the role where he has been most dangerous.
With Diggs no longer in New England, the path is clearer for Douglas to see more snaps inside. Vrabel said the team wants to keep finding ways to use him while also pushing him to keep improving.
"I know that every receiver wants to get the ball more and I think we'll continue to try to find ways for Pop to help us and then look at where he can continue to improve," Vrabel said. "But nobody cares more about the team than Pop Douglas. I think that shows by the way he plays."
Douglas said the offense feels much more natural to him now than it did a year ago.
"Oh, man, I feel way more comfortable," Douglas said. "Last year I was really just trying to -- I was really getting the feel of it, you know, not really much of going through it."
With one year left on his rookie deal, Douglas has a chance to turn that comfort, and the heavier workload that may be coming, into a rebound season before he reaches the next contract stage of his career.
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