FOXBORO, Mass. — Demario Douglas and Marcus Jones have both worked together and gone up against each other numerous times during training camp. 

And it's clear they both have a lot of respect for one another. 

The two have been on opposite sides during the 1-on-1 drills, with Douglas holding the upper hand. However, they join back up when practicing punt returns, with both taking reps. 

And when asked about what he's learned from Jones, Douglas didn't hold back.

"He's a great player," he said. "I love to go against him because he brings speed and he brings speed out of me. Going with him every day, we're both getting better every day."

Douglas has looked up to Jones since he was college, looking to structure his game similarly. 

And there is one main thing he has taken away when watching Jones: versatility.

Douglas has applied that to his game, with everyone taking notice – including Jones.  

"He's a quick guy for sure," Jones said. "We’ve just been going at it every single time. Whenever I see him go up there, I try to go against him, he’s trying to go against me. Just trying to make each other better.”                          

“I would say definitely his quickness, making sure he knows how to stem,” Jones added when asked about what makes him unique. “And then also getting out of his breaks. He’s real quick. He doesn’t slow down. Some receivers in their rookie year slow down out of their breaks, but he keeps it going. That’s a great thing to have.

It's clear that Douglas is willing to do anything to get better, taking each and every note to heart and fixing it. One moment stood out on Tuesday, with Douglas missing a punt return and being forced to do pushups afterwards. Yet, he was still smiling after and will be sure to not do it again. 

“And then also taking the coaching,” Jones said. “Coaches say something one time and he’s right on it, making sure that he’s trying to perfect it. So that’s a great thing to have.”

The two have a lot of similarities and it will be interesting to see if Douglas can find similar success in his rookie season to what Jones did in his first year. 

Featured Image via Sophie Weller – A to Z Sports