The Patriots’ receiver room took another hit on Monday, but this one also clarifies where the depth chart stands now. After trading Kayshon Boutte to the Houston Texans for safety Jaylen Reed and a 2028 seventh-round draft pick, New England is left to sort through a group that already changed shape this offseason with the additions of A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs.
At the top, the picture is pretty clean. Brown sits as the team’s clear X-receiver and the closest thing New England has had to a true WR1 since Josh Gordon’s brief run with the club in 2018 and 2019.
He brings the kind of outside presence that can line up against No. 1 cornerbacks and win in a bunch of different ways, and his training camp has only reinforced that role. For quarterback Drake Maye, he looks like a centerpiece.
Behind Brown, Kyle Williams remains in the mix but not in line for a full-time starting job. The third-round pick spent much of his rookie year behind Boutte at X, and Boutte’s exit does not suddenly open the door for him. Williams is still projected as a backup with value as a package player and even a possible kickoff return option, which is a good place to be for a young receiver the team still believes in.
The next wave of names is thinner, but not empty. Cameron Dorner, an undrafted rookie out of Shepard and North Texas, has been the most noticeable of the non-headliners this summer.
That still puts him in long-shot territory, with the practice squad looking like his most realistic destination. Tejhaun Palmer, added earlier this month, has a tougher climb still.
The 2024 sixth-rounder has caught one pass in each preseason game so far, but he currently looks more like camp depth than a roster lock.
On the other side, Romeo Doubs gives the Patriots a flexible Z-receiver who can work outside but should also move around the formation. He played mostly on the perimeter in Green Bay, and that kind of inside-out versatility should translate well in New England. With Brown occupying the X role, Doubs is positioned more as a multi-functional weapon than a pure boundary target, and the early signs in camp suggest that’s exactly how the Patriots want to use him with Maye.
Mack Hollins is another clear beneficiary of the reshuffled room. He put together a solid first season in New England with 52 catches for 679 yards and three touchdowns, and he’s done more than just catch passes.
His blocking, leadership and rapport with Maye all matter. With Boutte gone, Hollins now profiles as the team’s WR4 and the first option off the bench in a variety of spots.
There’s also more intrigue in the middle and back end of the roster. Efton Chism III spent his first NFL season as a fallback option on offense and never really carved out a special teams role, but that could change.
He has earned work as the personal protector on punt team and brings a useful, do-it-all mentality. Kyle Dixon, meanwhile, has the size and athletic traits of a perimeter receiver and drew praise from Mike Vrabel after the preseason game against the Eagles, though the practice squad still looks like his likeliest landing spot.
Nick DeGennaro helped himself by catching the game-winning touchdown in last week’s preseason win over the Eagles, but the numbers are crowded against him. Even after the Boutte trade, he is still fighting for a practice squad spot.
At slot, DeMario Douglas remains the Patriots’ most specialized piece and their only true slot receiver. He has obvious chemistry with Maye and can separate quickly, but the role is still narrow and his usage has not always translated into a huge snap share.
He’s been getting starter reps alongside Brown and Doubs this summer, though he has been quieter lately. That mirrors some of what happened last year, when he ended up playing only 27% of offensive snaps.
So while Boutte’s departure trims away one of Maye’s preferred targets, the overall shape of the room is still stronger than it has been in a while. Six receivers now look like relatively safe bets to make the roster: Brown, Doubs, Douglas, Hollins, Williams and Chism.
The Patriots are still rebuilding around Maye, and even with one favorite target gone, the group has more depth and talent than it has had in some time. There are only so many balls to go around, and that’s part of the story too.
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