New England Patriots
“There’s a lot of talk about whatever you want to say with Boutte, but he just continues to make plays.”
Drake Maye will have no shortage of options to throw to this season. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
August 4, 2026 | 11:41 AM
3 minutes to read
Something’s got to give with New England’s wide receiver room at some point this year, with seven different wideouts vying for regular reps and targets from Drake Maye.
It feels pretty evident that the Patriots will need to move at least one wideout before the 2026 season begins next month.
But based on Maye’s recent comments, all seven of those receivers — A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams, and Efton Chism — bring plenty of value to New England’s revamped offense.
During a radio interview on SiriusXM on Monday night, Maye was asked for a scouting report on all of his wideouts — with the Patriots third-year QB rolling through all of his top targets so far during camp.
Here’s what Maye said of all of his receivers:
A.J. Brown
“Having him coming in and kind of set the tone for the room,” Maye said of his new top target. “I think him and Romeo [Doubs] — the guys in there, they’ve really enjoyed the competitive drive in that room. People say it’s a crowded room but, as you know as receivers go, you’re going to need everybody.
“With A.J., the ability for him to not only make me look good, but go out there and make plays and catch the football. … We were watching some of his target tape the other day, and him being able to take a slant, take an under, and take it to the house. But at the same time he has route craft and he knows you can’t just win everything physically. At some point, you have to use routes, use his technique, and he does a great job.”
Romeo Doubs
“I think Romeo has done a great job coming in here and learning the offense,” Maye said. He hasn’t been in an offense like this that has some decision-making. I think he’s getting better and better as he’s gotten through OTAs and even in camp, he’s making some great plays for us.
“He’s kind of shifty and has a little wiggle to him that I didn’t really expect [while] throwing to him in camp.”
Mack Hollins
“Mack is kind of the Swiss-Army knife. He does it all,” Maye said. “He’s obviously big in the run game, but I think Coach [Josh McDaniels] rewards him with play-action off it. So he always says, ‘Just throw it to me on the in-cuts.’ He loves [it]. He’s big and has that demeanor to him that people feed off, that energy about him.”
DeMario Douglas
“I think Pop’s the one from last year that’s just continuing to get better and better. You see it every year,” Maye said. “From my rookie year being with him to Year 3 now, just kind of the connection and knowing how he runs routes.
“I think he does a great job in man [coverage]. It’s hard to cover him. So he’s going to be a big piece of what we do when we’re in 11 personnel. I’m looking forward to seeing how he continues to grow and make more plays this year. I think he definitely will.”
Kyle Williams
“Kyle, last year, was kind of a big-play guy,” Maye said. “I think he’s worked hard to be able to [run] different routes and be able to build his route-arsenal coming into his second year. I’m looking forward to seeing how that goes. And obviously he’s a deep threat, he’s fast, can run by people – which is always something the defense has to think about.”
Kayshon Boutte
“He’s a comforting receiver to throw to,” Maye said. “You get to know him – same thing as Pop [Douglas], this is my third year with Boutte and I was throwing to him on scout team when I was a rookie. Now we’re making plays. I threw my first touchdown to him.
“He’s just one of those guys that is quiet, does everything the right way, cares about his teammates, and he just puts his head down and works. There’s a lot of talk about whatever you want to say with Boutte, but he just continues to make plays. He’s going to be in the right spot and make a play on the football.”
Efton Chism
“He kind of became one of those guys late in the season when Mack got hurt, he had a role where we tried to replace what Mack does,” Maye said. “I think the biggest thing with Chis is he’s just doing the right things and making a lot of plays. He was a big preseason guy last year and so he’ll probably continue to make plays.”
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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