FOXBORO >> Patriots quarterback Drake Maye continues to show progress during the team’s spring practices, and he’s not taking the easy way out.

Maye, who was 14-of-18 during 11-on-11 drills Monday during Day 1 of Patriots minicamp, isn’t shying away from throwing at cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis.

“It’s fun anytime you’re going against a great defense,” Maye said Monday. “You got good players, two great corners. I tell Gonzo every day, I’m gonna test him. I’m not gonna not throw at him or CD, you know, two of the best corners or one of the best duos in the league. What an opportunity for us to go out there every day and throw against those guys.”

Maye, playing in a new system under returning offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, threw four interceptions in his first spring practice open to reporters three weeks ago. The 2024 third overall pick hasn’t turned the ball over in three subsequent practices open to the media.

On Monday, the Patriots worked heavily in the red zone. Maye completed his first four passes in red-zone work and was 6-of-9 overall near the goalline.

Maye was picked off by Gonzalez during the first week of OTAs. But he knows he has to continue to target Gonzalez and Davis in practice for them to improve.

“I mean, it’s great. Gonzo wants work,” Maye said. “Try to throw him a back shoulder if he’s staying on top, or trying to throw him on a slant when he’s sitting inside, or throw him on an incut when he’s back in the end zone. I think stuff like that, it gives him good work. And I think, when the season comes, it’s gonna help out.”

Maye said Monday that he feels like he’s beginning to hit his stride in McDaniels’ offense. The UNC product completed 66.6% of his passes for 2,276 yards with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions last season while working under offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. Van Pelt, along with most of the Patriots’ coaching staff, was fired after the season.

Some elements of the offense could still be familiar to Maye, however. McDaniels has been receptive to new ideas, and quarterbacks coach Ashton Grant comes from the same Browns system that Van Pelt came from.

“I think it’s been good. I’m starting to kind of really kind of find a stride and kind of bummed out we’re about to leave,” Maye said.

The Patriots have one more day of minicamp on Tuesday. Players will be in the facility on Wednesday, but head coach Mike Vrabel canceled the third day of minicamp practice.

The team will then break for six weeks before returning for training camp in late July, at which point Maye and the rest of the offense will have weeks to continue jelling before the season begins.

Maye hasn’t just shown progress under center. Head coach Mike Vrabel also sees an emerging leader.

“I think we’re always trying to evolve in what we do, whether that’s leadership, whether that’s learning the other side of the football, whether that’s learning each other,” Vrabel said. “Drake, I think it’s a unique position being 22; it’s kind of unique in that sense. So, I think that there is a lot of room to grow. I think there’s a lot of natural leadership qualities. I think I have to encourage him, continue to encourage him and to put him in those positions to do that so that the players understand that there’s a different version of all of us. There’s one that’s maybe off the field, that there’s one in the meeting room, and then there’s a version on the field, which we all have to understand is somewhat different than what it may be off the field.”

Maye believes his leadership can take a significant jump from last season, when he was a rookie and began the year as a backup to veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett.

Maye is not the unquestioned starter ahead of veteran backup Joshua Dobbs and rookie undrafted free agent Ben Wooldridge.

“I think from last year being a rookie, trying to come in here and earn my stripes, earn my keep through hard work,” Maye said. “I think this year is the same approach. You got new guys in here, new staff, got to keep on getting to know everybody, show my work ethic. From there, as the season comes around, try to take the next step in leadership and leading the offense and hopefully leading this football team.”

Expectations are high for Maye in 2025, and the young quarterback is embracing them in Year 2. From a four-interception start to the spring, Maye appears to have already taken major strides in McDaniels’ offense.

Now he’ll have to carry that momentum over after a six-week break from football.