One of the most exciting New England Patriots heading into the 2025 season was camp standout Efton Chism III. It was easy to fall in love with the undersized and undrafted free agent who fought his way onto New England's roster.
However, there is no denying that when it came to his performance as a receiver, it was a bit of a letdown. Chism found his value as a special teams contributor and played extremely limited snaps offensively, garnering only three targets and converting each of these opportunities.
Still, Chism was kept off the field for much of the season, playing only 39 offensive snaps. This set up an interesting question as to how the Pats might address the position during the offseason and whether Chism could continue slipping down the depth chart. While draft decisions still loom, early decisions have been great for the slot receiver, with the only notable addition at receiver being the free agent signing of Romeo Doubs.
The pass catcher offsets the loss of Stefon Diggs, who parted ways with the franchise this offseason. Chism now has a clear opportunity to work his way into a far more consistent depth role. If the Patriots fail to add in the draft, the current rotation leaves a clear opening for the pass catcher to become more important and earn the trust of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and quarterback Drake Maye.
Chism Still Has Chance to Become Important Piece of Patriots Offense
If the season started today, New England would have a starting trio of Doubs, Mack Hollins, and Kayshon Boutte. This leaves Chism, Kyle Williams, and DeMario Douglas competing for snaps as the next three options in the Pats lineup. No question, the lack of notable additions is a win for Chism and gives the receiver a chance to expand upon his role.
While it doesn't appear the pass catcher is in any danger of losing his roster spot due to the value on special teams, there is still a path to becoming more offensively relevant. Fans would love to see Chism continue his ascent, becoming an important part of the rotation and a reliable option for Maye.
If the Patriots start the 2026 season with the current depth chart, this is a very real possibility. With that said, it should be noted that three of New England's top 30 visits were utilized at the receiver position. This is to say nothing of the consistent speculation around A.J. Brown as a potential trade target, which continued Monday.
Still, none of the above is the current reality. That is a clear win for Chism, who remains set up to fight for a bigger role in the 2026 season. One that the receiver is deserving of based on the effort and talent that he flashed heading into the second year of his career.
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