The Patriots’ receiver room is crowded in a way that usually creates one inevitable casualty, and Efton Chism III is suddenly sitting in the middle of that squeeze.
New England spent the 2025 offseason loading up at wideout. After moving on from Stefon Diggs, the Patriots brought in Romeo Doubs as their No. 2 option, then swung big with a trade for A.J.
Brown to give them a true No. 1.
That pair joins a deeper group that already includes Mack Hollins, Kayshon Boutte, Pop Douglas, third-round pick Kyle Williams, and Chism, the 2025 UDFA who surprisingly cracked the roster last season.
That kind of depth is a good problem to have, but it also means the Patriots may not keep everybody. One of the names now being floated as the odd man out is Chism, and Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton made that case in his list of players each NFL team should cut before the season.
“Even if the New England Patriots trade Kayshon Boutte ahead of final roster cuts, Efton Chism III will probably be on the outside looking in at five wide receivers ahead of him on the depth chart. This offseason, New England signed Romeo Doubs to a four-year, $68 million contract and acquired A.J. Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles...wideout Mack Hollins is going into his third year playing in offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' offense.
Clearly, McDaniels trusts him in his system...As an offseason standout last year, Chism made the Patriots' 53-man roster. He'll come up short this year and probably land on the practice squad.”
That logic is hard to dismiss. If the Patriots keep only five receivers, Chism appears to be fighting uphill. If they keep six, Moton’s point about Boutte becomes part of the equation, because somebody from the returning group may have to go to make room.
Cut-down day comes on August 30, and this is shaping up to be one of Mike Vrabel’s trickiest calls.
Chism’s case isn’t helped by what happened last season. He entered New England as a highly paid UDFA with meaningful guarantees, but he barely saw the ball. He finished with just three targets in 2025, though he caught all three and turned one into a touchdown.
At the same time, he’s shown enough in flashes to keep the conversation alive. He has produced in preseason work and in the limited opportunities he’s gotten, even if the Patriots have mostly used him outside rather than in the slot, which is his natural spot.
Pop Douglas complicates the picture further. He’s had a strong camp and, unless he’s traded, looks like a near-lock to make the roster. That only tightens the math for Chism.
Still, when Chism has gotten chances, he’s made them count. Against the Colts, he had three receptions for 21 yards. He keeps finding ways to get open, and he’s shown he can do damage after the catch.
That’s what makes this such a tough call for Vrabel and the offensive staff. They’ve shown little interest in finding out what Chism can do in the slot, and if they do move on from him, it’s the kind of decision they may end up regretting.
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