New England Patriots
The pair of second-year wide receivers each had eye-popping touchdown grabs during the Patriots’ red zone period Friday.
Efton Chism is fighting hard for a spot on the Patriots’ 53-man roster. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
The Patriots have a major problem on their hands in training camp, but it’s a good problem to have.
The production they’ve gotten out of each of their wide receivers has been outstanding so far, and Drake Maye seems to have a legitimate connection with each of his targets.
But typical NFL rosters only carry six receivers, and New England has seven, making solid cases for their spots. So, who might be the odd man out in the group? Or will the Patriots buck the trend and roll all seven into their 53-man roster for Week 1?
Here’s how each receiver (not named A.J Brown) has fared so far in training camp.
Romeo Doubs
Doubs has somehow flown under the radar since the Brown trade became official, but New England’s other major offseason acquisition is fitting in quite well in Foxborough.
Doubs is a roster lock given his talent and the lucrative deal the Patriots committed to him, but he’s been as advertised alongside Brown. The duo could easily become New England’s most effective receiving tandem in years.
Kayshon Boutte
Boutte is far from the odd man out that some believed he might be following the acquisition of Brown. He’s been undeniably a top receiver in camp so far, and the only way he’d seemingly not make the Patriots roster is if he’s traded before the season starts.
Boutte reportedly requested a trade very early on in the offseason, seeing the writing on the wall for his potential role in 2026, according to MassLive’s Karen Guerigan. It’s unclear if New England will make good on that request — or if Boutte even still wants out — but he could still be in line for plenty of meaningful snaps in Week 1 if he remains with the team.
Mack Hollins
Hollins has had the quietest start to training camp of any Patriots wide receiver, and could be a surprise cut candidate if Mike Vrabel looks to get younger. But his leadership and veteran experience are both intangibles that could cement his place on the team in 2026.
Hollins is also the most skilled special teams player in the receiving group, which will play a part in how the reserve receivers come together.
Ultimately, Hollins’s standing is more driven by how much Vrabel values his leadership qualities than how skilled he is compared to the younger core surrounding him.
DeMario Douglas
Douglas and Efton Chism are battling it out for the slot receiver role in New England, with Kyle Williams sprinkled into that role as well. Douglas has been ahead of the pecking order given his longer NFL tenure, and he’s been delivering in camp so far.
He made a highlight-reel end zone grab at Friday’s practice. Douglas was expected to take a big leap in 2025 under Josh McDaniels, who has long utilized slot receivers better than most offensive coordinators. Douglas didn’t quite find his stride in that first season, but could certainly be a bigger factor in 2026.
Efton Chism
Chism became a fascinating name as an undrafted rookie last season, and he’s shaking things up again this preseason.
By all accounts, Chism should be on the outside looking in on this receiver room. But he’s been back and forth with Williams, and coming out on top of a fair number of those battles.
The disadvantage that will hang above Chism’s head all training camp, though, is that he’s a far lesser-known commodity than Williams is. So, the Patriots might feel they can cut Chism and avoid losing him to another team. If they retained him on the practice squad, they could prolong their ultimate decision with Chism.
But that’s a bit of a catch-22 proposition, because if Chism has a strong preseason showing, he’d surely be on other teams’ radars to steal him away if he got cut. It would probably benefit New England more to take a firm stance one way or the other when rounding out their room.
Kyle Williams
Williams was the low man on the ladder to open training camp, but he’s rebounded quite well since then. He had the catch of the day on Thursday, and has plenty of life in him despite being viewed as the seventh man in the receivers room.
The flashes of talent Williams showed in 2025 alone might be enough to grant him a roster spot, as he would surely get claimed off waivers if New England cut him.
Nobody low on the depth chart will truly feel safe until the situation with Kayshon Boutte is resolved. But if Boutte stays in Foxborough, Vrabel will have a very difficult decision to make prior to Week 1.
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