Every summer, a few under-the-radar players force their way into the conversation. For the Patriots this year, Efton Chism is quickly becoming one of those names.
The rookie wide receiver arrived in New England as an undrafted free agent in May, but his college resume was anything but ordinary. At Eastern Washington, Chism rewrote the record books, finishing his career with 346 receptions for 3,852 yards and 37 touchdowns. His senior season was historic: 120 catches for 1,311 yards and 13 scores, breaking the program's single-season receptions record previously held by Cooper Kupp. That performance earned him First-Team FCS All-American honors and invitations to the Hula Bowl and East-West Shrine Bowl.
Despite the accolades, Chism went undrafted, but he is wasting no time proving he belongs. In his preseason debut against Washington, he led the Patriots in receptions (six) and receiving yards (50) and scored the team's only receiving touchdown in a 48-18 win. After the game, Chism could not hide his excitement.
"It's a blessing to be here and I don't take it for granted," he said. "I got to go out there and play, so it was super awesome. Super thankful for the opportunity."
Chism also credited his background for shaping his all-around game. "It kind of started in high school. My coaches were always on us about blocking," he said. "You're never going to get the ball if you don't block. So I always carried that over. Just doing all the little details, I feel like being a receiver that can block can open up opportunities to get on the field. Whatever I can do to help the team."
Special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer echoed that sentiment, praising Chism's versatility and effort, "Efton is doing everything we're telling him to earn a role on special teams," Springer said. "Know the details of it, that's hitting these fundamentals and go earn that role by playing full speed, and then making great decisions and I think he's doing that above and beyond. Another great kid, that's doing a great job for us."
That willingness to contribute in multiple phases is critical for a player fighting for a roster spot. But Chism's impact is not limited to special teams. He is also earning trust in the passing game, and quarterback Josh Dobbs offered a glowing review of the rookie's approach and skill set.
"He fits really well within the scheme and offense," Dobbs said. "He does a great job in the routes that he has of being fast when he needs to, but also being strategic when he needs to. He's a QB-friendly target, like in the red zone or on third down. He gets a lot of good matchups, and he wins those matchups, which is most important."
Dobbs pointed to Chism's preparation as a key factor in his early success, "He's asking the older guys like myself, Mack [Hollins], for any tools, anything that we're seeing that can help him get open and do the right thing," Dobbs said. "He's doing extra walk-throughs. He's playing the mental game before practice and before the game, so that he's prepared when he steps on the field. He deserves all the love that he's getting. But I think he understands that it's just one day at a time. Take advantage of each opportunity, and each day is a new day to go out and dominate and make plays on the field."
Chism summed up his mindset simply: "At the end of the day, it's football. We've been playing our whole lives," he said. "I just think about it like I'm playing back at my high school or my college. Go out there and play, let loose, be free, because once you start overthinking, overanalyzing stuff, it can kind of catch up to you."
For Chism, that approach and his growing consistency are starting to help him stand out. If he keeps stacking days like this, he might be one of the biggest surprises of the summer.
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