Patriots' Surging WR is Bad News for Veterans

The New England Patriots have quite the battle going on at the wide receiver position, and it's one that should only heat up during training camp.

The Patriots will probably only keep only six, maybe seven wide receivers heading into the regular season, and while players like Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas and Kyle Williams are almost certainly locks, the rest of the cast will be fighting tooth and nail to make the 53-man roster.

Kayshon Boutte, Kendrick Bourne, Ja'Lynn Polk, Javon Baker and Efton Chism III will likely be competing for the final two or three spots available on the depth chart, and to be perfectly honest, Boutte is probably a lock barring a trade, which cannot be ruled out.

That means a couple of players are going to be left out in the cold. Based on all of the buzz we have heard throughout offseason workouts, it probably won't be Chism.

The undrafted rookie has turned heads over the last couple of months, drawing comparisons to legendary New England slot receivers such as Julian Edelman and Wes Welker. Chad Graff of The Athletic was the latest to provide a positive update on Chism, and he also seems to believe that the Eastern Washington product may very well make the team.

"Undrafted rookie Efton Chism played so well during spring practices that both Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye praised the 5-foot-10 receiver," Graff wrote. "Chism broke Cooper Kupp’s FCS record with at least one catch in 53 straight games while at Eastern Washington. He lacks downfield speed (4.7-second 40), but put up elite numbers in the short shuttle and three-cone drill. That shiftiness helped him stand out during OTAs, and he’ll now enter camp with a decent shot at making the team."

Depending on how many receivers the Patriots retain, this obviously spells bad news for at least two of the three: Bourne, Polk and Baker, the first of whom signed a contract extension with New England last offseason.

With Bourne turning 30 years old in August, it stands to reason that the team's former top weapon could be cut. Meanwhile, Polk and Baker combined for 13 catches last season, with Polk accounting for 12 of them. Neither player showed nearly enough in 2024 to warrant a guaranteed roster spot, particularly if Chism continues to impress in training camp.