Thursday night will give the New England Patriots’ rookie class its first taste of actual NFL game action. Yes, it’s of the exhibition variety, but the preseason opener against the visiting Carolina Panthers will still be a day to remember for Drake Maye, Ja’Lynn Polk, and company.
For offensive lineman Layden Robinson, the game carries a little extra meaning beyond this being his first time putting on the Patriots’ uniform. As the fourth-round draft pick pointed out, the contest falls on his late grandmother’s birthday.
“I’m very excited,” he said about the upcoming contest.