Patriots Wideout On the Trade Block on Draft Day

One of the most anticipated weeks in football is here, as the NFL Draft is always an event to look back on, either making or breaking the future outlook of teams across the league.

First year head coach Mike Vrabel will look to continue improving this Patriots roster after bringing in talent on both sides in free agency. Some glaring needs for New England still include the offensive line, pass-catching running back and another receiver on the outside.

The Patriots have 9 picks in this year's draft, starting with the No.4 selection and three other picks in the top 100. This is a crucial week for Vrabel and Eliot Wolf to set the foundation of this Patriots team going forward, adding talented players and great people to embrace the new Patriots culture, on and off the field.

With the draft kicking off in Green Bay on Thursday, rumors have been swirling around the NFL about which team will pick which player, and trades that could happen throughout the draft process.

Over the course of the last 24 hours, ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter shared what he's been hearing from teams across the league about what could potentially happen throughout the draft weekend, whether it's the draft picks themselves or trades that could shake up the football world.

A name that came up in his pre-draft notes was a young Patriots receiver, coming off a promising sophomore season that saw an established connection between himself and rookie quarterback Drake Maye.

Kayshon Boutte Rumored To Be a Trade Candidate on Draft Day

As everything went wrong last season for the Patriots, one lone takeaway was that Boutte took a major leap in his second season, and became one of Maye's top targets as the weeks went along.

The 22-year-old only appeared in five games during his rookie season in 2023, catching two of his seven targets for 19 yards with Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe at the helm.

Last year was a completely different story with Drake Maye, as Boutte ranked amongst the top of the rankings for Patriots receivers in another lost season for the team.

The New Iberia, LA native appeared in 15 games, hauling in 43 receptions (4th), 589 yards (3rd) and 3 receiving touchdowns (tied for team lead). His 13.7 yards per reception led the Patriots pass-catchers and came down with impressive deep ball touchdowns, most memorably one against the Texans in Week 6, and another in Week 16 against the Bills.

After seeing what Boutte did in year two with Maye, it might be hard for Patriots fans to grasp just why the team would want to move off him later this week, although Schefter's reports are just rumors.

To make some sense of the situation, the Patriots added talent on the outside with Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins in free agency. They should also be getting Kendrick Bourne back for a full season after a 2023 ACL injury kept him out for the first four weeks of 2024.

They also have DeMario Douglas, who is set into the slot receiver role in a Josh McDaniels offense, as many think he's poised for a big year, and rightfully so.

As mentioned earlier, the Patriots have nine draft selections to use. They could select someone who fits the Patriots passing scheme more than Boutte, or they could try to capitalize on Boutte's value while it's high to stockpile more picks for other positions of need.

In either case, trading Boutte would be a mistake. Having a young receiver playing well alongside Maye was one of the only positives of the Patriots 2024 campaign, and the chemistry between the two was evident.

If you're the front office, you need to let these two grow beside each other, and see what Boutte can do with Josh McDaniels heading the offense now. Other receivers have been brought in but that should not take away from the bottom line, Kayshon Boutte and Drake Maye make each other better.

The NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday, with Kayshon Boutte's situation being one to monitor as the weekend goes along.

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