The New England Patriots will enter training camp with 12 wide receivers on their roster. With only a handful of players that are locks to make the team and with limited space to carry no more than seven receivers, 50 percent of the receivers that we’ll see in training camp won’t be on the 53-man roster at the end of August.
Over the years of Josh McDaniels calling the plays as the offensive coordinator that has spanned over the course of two stints and 13 years, the Patriots have always had at least seven wide receivers on the roster, with the lone exception being in 2008 when they had six.
Here’s a look at the number of wide receivers that have been on the roster in every year that McDaniels has been the offensive coordinator in New England:
- 2006: 8
- 2007: 7
- 2008: 6
- 2012: 8
- 2013: 7
- 2014: 8
- 2015: 9
- 2016: 7
- 2017: 7
- 2018: 7
- 2019: 9
- 2020: 9
- 2021: 7
The Patriots will enter training camp with these 12 wide receivers:
- Stefon Diggs
- DeMario Douglas
- Mack Hollins
- Kayshon Boutte
- Kendrick Bourne
- Javon Baker
- Ja’Lynn Polk
- Kyle Williams (R)
- Efton Chism III (UDFA)
- DeMeer Blankumsee
- Jon Jiles
- Jeremiah Webb
Using the process of elimination, we can determine the receivers who will most likely make the roster due to the construct of the position. With the history of McDaniels carrying upwards of eight receivers in his career, I would expect that trend to continue this season.
Here are the receivers that I expect to be on the roster for the Patriots in Week 1:
- Stefon Diggs
- DeMario Douglas
- Kayshon Boutte
- Kyle Williams
- Kendrick Bourne
- Mack Hollins
- Ja’Lynn Polk
- Efton Chism III
Each player has a strong case for why they belong on the roster. Diggs and Hollins were the top veteran free agent acquisitions. Douglas is poised to be the slot receiver of the future while Chism III also has similar qualities, and they’re both perfect McDaniels models for the position. Williams is their top rookie draft choice for a wide receiver. Bourne has been successful in the McDaniels system. Boutte has X receiver characteristics that this team needs. And it still might be too early to give up on Polk after an underwhelming rookie season, after drafting him in the second round in 2024.
It’s possible that Hollins could start the season on the PUP list due to an undisclosed injury that held him out of OTAs. The same could be said for Polk, who was limited during OTAs while recovering from offseason surgery.
It’s worth mentioning that if there's a player starting the season on PUP, it inevitably opens a roster spot on the 53-man roster. If that were to happen, there is a chance for Baker to make a case for himself to make the roster, as he’s currently on the bubble to make the team after being drafted in the fourth round in 2024.
After an underwhelming rookie season of only one reception for 12 yards over 11 games, Baker has a lot of showcasing to do for the new coaching staff to prove himself worthy of making the roster. It’s possible that McDaniels might like the potential of Baker, but he’ll need to prove it during training camp.
One last note. Any of these receivers who don’t make the roster will have the opportunity to make the practice squad in New England.