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Two Patriots WRs Drafted in 2024 Could Be Cut

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nelson Hubbell | Last updated Jun 24, 2025 11:20 AM ET

The New England Patriots have made an effort to overhaul their wide receiver room in recent years, but that could leave some recent draft picks without a roster spot.

The new regime under Mike Vrabel has brought in three wide receivers through the 2025 NFL Draft or free agency: Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins, and third-round pick Kyle Williams. Toss in the addition of undrafted free agent Efton Chism III, who has been showing out so far this offseason, and things are beginning to get murky.

According to CBS Sports' Tyler Sullivan, the addition of so many new faces is putting two picks from the 2024 draft on the outside looking in. Those two players are second-round pick Ja'Lynn Polk and fourth-round pick Javon Baker, who are at risk of being cut.

"If Chism, an undrafted rookie out of Eastern Washington, carries his strong showing during OTAs and minicamp to training camp, he could crash the party and take another, Sullivan said. "That puts 2024 draftees like Polk and Baker squarely on the bubble."

Sullivan expects the Patriots to hold six roster spots for wideouts, while some NFL teams will opt for seven or even eight on rare occasions. He believes Diggs, Hollins, and Williams to be virtual locks.

That leaves six other receivers for the remaining three positions: Baker, Polk, Chism, DeMario Douglas, Kendrick Bourne, and Kayshon Boutte.

It would be hard for the Patriots to bail on the 37th overall pick in last year's draft, but Polk played in 15 games and had just 12 catches for 87 yards. It was even worse for Baker, who played in 11 games and had just one catch for four yards.

Douglas and Boutte are both young wideouts who finished a close second and third on the team in receiving. Unless there is a dramatic drop-off in performance in training camp and preseason, they are both likely safe as well.

That leaves Chism, Baker, Polk, and Bourne (who had just 305 yards receiving in 2024) to fill the remaining spot. That is, unless the team decides to carry a seventh receiver, in which case it would be two spots.

That leaves a bleak outlook for the two 2024 draft picks that had fans hopeful going into last season.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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