The New England Patriots face several difficult decisions as they look to trim their corps of receivers heading into 2025.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — In the spirit of poet Dylan Thomas, New England Patriots receiver Kayshon Boutte is not yet ready to “go gentle” into his proverbial “gridiron good night.”
Despite being one of the Pats most productive receivers in 2024, the former LSU Tiger faces an uphill battle to earn a place within one of the most-crowded position groups on their roster. Still, Boutte has arrived at OTAs both ready and eager to prove himself worthy of inclusion.
“We’ve got a lot of guys … 12 of us. At the end of the day, there will probably be six of us, if we are being honest,” Boutte told reporters on Wednesday at Gillette Stadium. “Every day is another opportunity to get better and be great. We all know we’re in competition, but it’s up to us at the end of the day.”
Boutte, New England’s sixth-round pick [187 overall] in the 2023 NFL Draft, has been embroiled in both trade and release rumors for much of the offseason. In addition to facing the tall task of assimilating into new coordaintor Josh McDaniels’ offense, the 23-year-old will be competing with such talented receivers as Stefon Diggs, Kendrick Bourne, DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins, Ja’Lynn Polk, Javon Baker and rookie Kyle Williams for a spot on the Patriots initial 53. Though he is aware of the narrative which presently surrounds him, Boutte is content to let his performance on the field speak for itself.
“I mean, I heard about it, but I tried not to really put too much time into that,” Boutte acknowledged. “You know, there’s just a lot of people just sitting behind phones and just typing. It’s really got nothing to do with me.”
Following a quiet rookie campaign, in which he caught two passes for 19 yards, Boutte emerged as one of the lone bright spots in the Patriots offense last season. He finished 2024 with 43 catches for 589 yards and three touchdowns — ranking third on the team in receiving and tied for the team lead in scoring receptions.
Nevertheless, Boutte must make his best effort to eclipse last year’s performance for a new coaching staff on offense — including McDaniels, new receivers coach Todd Downing and head coach Mike Vrabel. In that vein, the New Iberia, LA native is currently working to cultivate an already strongly-established rapport with quarterback Drake Maye.
“Once you have been on the field, you get more momentum and more confidence,” Boutte said. “I had 589 yards and three touchdowns [last season.] Everybody has goals on being 1,000-yard receivers and stuff like that — but it starts with days like today … working with the team and getting on the same page with Drake.”
“As long as we are on the same page, everything else will take care of itself,” he added.
Boutte’s athleticism makes him an intriguing player to watch during training camp. He is an explosive big-play threat when he is on his game. At 6’0, 195-pounds he possesses a sizable frame to make him tough to bring down after the catch. He also has an inherent speed to be elusive when changing direction. His ability to adjust his body to make contested catches could catch the eye of New England’s coaches in the coming weeks.
In fact, it appears to have already garnered Vrabel’s attention, as evidenced by a brief evaluation of Boutte he provided prior to Wednesday’s practice.
“I think that he’s gotten in better shape as we started to go on to the OTAs, and I think that’s really started to help him as we stack plays together,” Vrabel said. “I think that he’s working to do that. I like his attitude. I enjoy his willingness to continue to improve and maybe do some things a little differently.”
Boutte and the Patriots are scheduled to conclude their second of three weeks of OTAs on Friday, May 30 in a session which will be closed to the media.
