FOXBORO -- Malcolm Mitchell left his feet in the front corner of the end zone before his right hand shot up like that of an over-eager second grader desperate to be called upon in class.
As Mitchell fell to the turf, Jacoby Brissett's pass hit the rookie receiver's 10.5-inch mitt and stuck. It was a play so acrobatic that it got a rare cheer from the Patriots sidelines, with a few of Mitchell's offensive teammates raising their hands over their heads as they reacted to the improbable reception.
For Mitchell -- who later made another impressive grab deep down the field while dealing with double-coverage -- his one-handed snag was the exclamation point to his performance during Day 3 of Patriots minicamp.
"I'm just glad," Mitchell said, "I knew what to do on the play . . . The first step for me, being a rookie, is knowing exactly what I'm doing, and to make the most of every opportunity."
Mitchell missed Wednesday's practice -- "Everything's fine," he replied when asked about his absence -- but he appeared to make the most of his opportunities on the final day of this week's practices.
With Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola out all week, that meant more reps for Mitchell as well as fellow receivers Chris Hogan, Keshawn Martin, Aaron Dobson, Nate Washington, Chris Harper, DeAndre Carter and Devin Lucien.
Mitchell explained that capitalizing on those snaps requires some homework. It means understanding what gets taught in the meeting rooms before practice and then bringing that knowledge out onto the field.
New England Patriots
"I trust how the coaches are installing the plays," Mitchell said. "I trust the amount of plays they put in for us to learn. After that, it's not really up to them anymore. It's our responsibility to make sure we stay up an extra hour, we wake up an extra hour early, to make sure that we know everything coming in.
"I think once you get your priorities straight in that area, you'll come in and kind of know what you're doing."
For the University of Georgia product, there's plenty to take in. Though he played in a pro-style offense under former Bulldogs offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer last season, the Patriots offense is an entirely different animal. Mitchell has to deal not only with a complicated playbook and a demanding coaching staff led by Bill Belichick, but he's also playing alongside a group of quarterbacks, led by Tom Brady, who have high expectations for their receivers.
Though Mitchell earned congratulations from his teammates for his attention-grabbing catch, he made it clear that he didn't bask in the glory of a well-executed play during a non-padded practice in June. As soon as it was over, his mind was elsewhere.
"I gotta get back and make sure I know the next play," he said.