As the preseason and joint practice portion of the summer nears, the roster battle at the wide receiver position for the Patriots continues to be a highly debated topic during training camp.
Last season, New England ranked last in the NFL in receiving yards (1,718) and 30th out of 32 teams in expected points added generated by wide receivers. Given the results a year ago, it makes sense that head coach Mike Vrabel and personnel chief Eliot Wolf added an influx of talent at the receiver position this offseason, mainly signing four-time Pro Bowl receiver Stefon Diggs and selecting rookie Kyle Williams with the 69th overall pick in the third round of April's draft. So far, Diggs's sharp routes and Williams's downfield separation have stood out in camp.
However, holdovers Kayshon Boutte and DeMario Douglas are also making a strong impression this summer. Douglas has looked the part inside the slot in OC Josh McDaniels's offense, with McDaniels having a history of amplifying shifty slot receivers. Douglas's separation quickness to run the various quick-hitters in McDaniels's system has made him an early camp standout, and it's been especially encouraging that Douglas is grasping the nuances of the role as well.
Earlier this summer, Douglas worked off-script with QB Drake Maye for one of the plays of camp. With the Pats QB extending the play while rolling to his right, Douglas got behind the defense for a 50-plus yard touchdown catch. Speaking on the Up & Adams show last week, Maye highlighted Douglas's mental improvements this offseason.
"Pop is a guy who is tough to guard in a phone booth. He's going to make things happen with the ball in his hands, he's tough to tackle," Maye said. "The big thing with Pop is he's lining up right, he's running the right routes, he's getting to the next level [in reading coverages]. I'm excited to keep getting him involved."
In the McDaniels offense, slot receivers often have option routes where they have the freedom to break away from the coverage. For example, if the defense is in man coverage with outside leverage, where the corner sits on Douglas's outside hip, it might make sense to break inside to take advantage of the defenders' body positioning at the snap. Another example could be sitting in open space over the middle of the field versus zone coverage, with the typical rule of thumb being to break away from man coverage and sit or settle against zone coverage.
Next month, the Patriots will induct WR Julian Edelman into the team's Hall of Fame, who for years mastered the intricacies of the slot receiver role playing with fellow Patriots Hall of Famer, Tom Brady. Although they still have a long way to go to reach the Brady and Edelman level, we've seen Douglas and Maye working similar routes in camp practices.
Along with Douglas, the other holdover making waves in the Patriots offense is third-year pro Kayshon Boutte. Boutte and Douglas were drafted in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, with Boutte logging 43 catches for 589 yards and three touchdowns in a breakout second season. On Tuesday, Boutte spoke about his work this offseason to be in better physical condition for the upcoming season to build off his success in the 2024 season.
"My main focus this offseason was coming back in shape. I feel like I came back in shape, picked up where I left off at and not getting in shape while we're going [in training camp]. That was my main focus, coming back ready to roll," said Boutte. Just kind of thinking about last season and the little success I had, just wanted to build off that. I didn't want to set myself back, have these high expectations, so it's keep myself on that path."
During a fully padded practice on Monday, the Patriots offense faced a gotta-have-it fourth down play in a simulated end of game scenario. The coaches gave the offense 45 seconds with one timeout to score a touchdown, and the Pats defense was mostly stingy until this point. Then, Maye floated a pass to Boutte in the right corner of the end zone with first-year CB D.J. James draped over Boutte in coverage. The third-year wideout somehow came down with the football and appeared to get two feet in bounds for the score from this vantage point.
"I would say I for sure caught the ball. The main focus was getting both feet in bounds, which I think I did," Boutte told reporters on Tuesday. "It was fourth-and-3, gotta have it situation. Drake just kind of got flushed out of the pocket. Just a receiver making plays."
Another instance where Boutte flashed was in last Friday night's in-stadium scrimmage. Boutte was paired with Douglas on backup QB Joshua Dobbs's team, and opened the scrimmage by hauling in a 50-plus yard touchdown on a go route down the left sideline. Later, Team White was in a two-minute situation, and Boutte put the offense in field goal range by catching a deep dig route that gained roughly 15-20 yards. Douglas then caught a quick-hitter, and the White squad kicked a field goal to clinch the victory in the scrimmage.
As mentioned, there's tons of interest in the Patriots wide receiver depth chart this summer. Based on recent practices, the Boutte-Diggs-Douglas trio have received a lot of reps, along with third-rounder Kyle Williams. Since returning from the PUP list, veteran Mack Hollins has also begun receiving some first-team reps. The seventh-year pro has size and experience to play on the outside, while Hollins also had a career-high 690 receiving yards with McDaniels in Las Vegas in 2022. From this perspective, those five receivers will likely make the Pats roster.
From there, a handful of receivers are competing for a few roster spots: Ja'Lynn Polk, Javon Baker, Efton Chism and veteran Kendrick Bourne. We've written extensively about Baker's high-end flashes and unique skill set as a downfield ball-winner, with Baker needing more consistency to make the initial roster. Polk, a second-round pick in the 2024 draft, has had a slow start to camp, while Bourne will miss this week's practices after getting rolled up on in last Friday night's scrimmage, per head coach Mike Vrabel.
As for Chism, the undrafted rookie resembles slot receivers who have succeeded in New England. The Eastern Washington product's quickness to create first-level separation on whip routes and other quick-hitters is apparent, while Chism can also return punts. The rookie might not have a path to be a contributor in year one, but you could see him developing into a slot receiver that would thrive inside McDaniels's offense, so he might be worth keeping around.
Ultimately, the Patriots decision for the final few spots at wide receiver will likely come down to how they prioritize pro-ready backups compared to raw talent and upside. If the opportunity presents itself, Bourne could step into an NFL game at a moment's notice, but more youthful receivers such as Baker or Chism might have upside that is worth investing in long-term.
In the first 11 camp practices, the top of the Patriots wide receiver depth chart is taking shape. Over the next few weeks, we'll see who earns those last few spots on the initial roster.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
