It’s that time of year again. The New England Patriots' offseason workouts are underway. The grass is fresh, the pads are off, and someone you’ve never heard of is cooking NFL DBs like he’s prime Randy Moss. This year’s early contender for OTA breakout star? Rookie wide receiver Efton Chism III, an undrafted guy (remember Wes Welker?), who’s already turning heads in Foxborough.
Chism, who is coming out of Eastern Washington, yes, the same school that gave us Cooper Kupp, is lighting it up at OTAs. Reports say he’s stacking good days together, running crisp routes, catching everything Drake Maye throws his way, and is generally acting like someone who doesn’t know he's supposed to be a longshot. The guy has reliable hands, a relentless motor, and a real shot to make the roster or at least ruin someone else’s dreams of doing so, especially with the lack of talent on the wide receiver depth chart.
Efton Chism Impresses with Perfect Day at Patriots OTAs, Earns Praise from Stefon Diggs
Let’s get the facts straight: Chism is no scrub. In college, he broke Cooper Kupp’s record for most consecutive games with a catch in FCS history with 53 straight. That’s not a typo. Over his collegiate career, he racked up 346 receptions, 3,852 yards, and 37 touchdowns. It's kind of surprising he went undrafted.
What we’ve seen so far at Patriots OTAs is a continuation of who Chism has always been: a quick, elusive slot option who thrives off short-yardage separation, yards after catch, and quick angles. He’s like a Julian Edelman-esque player, and we can only hope he is just as good. Josh McDaniels has always had a type, with Welker, Edelman, Amendola, Chris Hogan, and Chism fits like a glove.
But let’s cool the fireworks for just a second. We hear these stories every offseason, don't we? The pads have yet to come on. DBs are mostly playing tag, and nobody’s getting drilled over the middle yet. However, what we always hear is that the defense is usually ahead of the offense at this point in the offseason, so it is a good sign that we are hearing Chism's name circulating throughout the building.
It’s hard not to dream a little. Especially when Drake Maye is out here looking for reliable weapons like a broke college kid looking to make ends meet. The Stefon Diggs situation just got super weird with the boat video coming out on top of his diva-like tendencies, which we constantly hear about. The Patriots’ WR room is a soap opera waiting to happen. Hopefully, the third-round pick, Kyle Williams, can be a guy, while Javon Baker and Ja’Lynn Polk looked more like practice-squad guys than day-one starters last year. Someone has to step up. Why not the guy with a chip on his shoulder and nearly 400 college catches?
Look around the league at the quarterbacks drafted last year, Caleb Williams has Rome Odunze, DJ Moore, and they just drafted Luther Burden. J.J. McCarthy landed in Disney World with the Vikings, having the ultimate weapon in Justin Jefferson and a solid number two in Jordan Addison. Jayden Daniels is running it back with Scary Terry, along with the addition of Deebo. Bo Nix is in Sean Payton's funhouse with Courtland Sutton and a strong run game. Even Michael Penix Jr. is in a luxury suite with Bijan, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts. Meanwhile, Drake Maye is out here tossing to a cast of um, maybe this guy is good, and hopefully this guy still has it. Josh McDaniels is a sweet addition to the offense, but we still need talent in order to support our guy.
If Chism can become Maye’s slot guru, someone who finds the soft spot in the defense, gets open quickly, and turns five-yard gains into something more, we’re talking about more than just a fun OTA story. We’re talking about a real role, a roster spot, and maybe even some fantasy value (I’m manifesting.) If you think about it, every NFL star was once an anonymous rookie. Who knew that Julian Edelman would turn into a Patriots Hall of Famer, and Efton Chism III? He’s making just enough noise to make you wonder if he can follow that same path.