FOXBORO, Mass. — Back in February, Jerod Mayo said the New England Patriots’ defense needed to get faster after crumbling down the stretch in 2021.
Were they able to accomplish that? Absolutely, according to one veteran starter.
“One hundred percent,” cornerback Jalen Mills said Thursday after the Patriots’ eighth practice of training camp — a camp that, on the whole, has been dominated by New England’s D.
Mills, who projects as the Patriots’ No. 1 corner, said the increase in speed has been particularly noticeable in Mayo’s position group: the linebacking corps, which parted ways with experienced but not especially fleet-footed ‘backers Dont’a Hightower, Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins this offseason.