New England Patriots - NESN.com
When the New England Patriots report to training camp in three weeks, all eyes will be on injured wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who’s recovering from a torn ACL. But there’s another receiver worth watching: Efton Chism III.
The rookie drew rave reviews from ESPN’s Mike Reiss, who called him the Patriots’ biggest offseason surprise player. “The undrafted free agent from Eastern Washington quickly earned the trust of his quarterbacks, with Drake Maye remarking, ‘Chis had like 50 catches in OTAs.’
“Among the things that stood out most while watching the 5-foot-10, 198-pound Chism work in the slot were his spatial awareness, quickness and sure hands,” Reiss wrote Monday. “Specifically, in one practice when veteran Kendrick Bourne wasn’t present, Chism stepped into his role and led the team in catches that day.
“The Patriots have 12 receivers on the roster and are likely to keep six, with Chism making an early statement that he could be in the mix for one of the final spots,” Reiss concluded.
During OTAs and mandatory minicamp, Chism frequently drew rave reviews as one of the the top performers on the team.
The 2024 season was Chism’s best in college, catching 120 passes for 1,311 yards and 13 touchdowns. Along the way, he broke Eastern Washington’s single-season receptions record, which was previously held by former Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp.
After not hearing his name called in the 2025 NFL Draft, Chism signed a three-year, $2.99 million contract with the Patriots and received a $25K signing bonus, according to Spotrac.
“It’s going to be hard to keep (Chism) off the roster,” Boston Sports Journal’s Greg Bedard said last month. “Look, the guy just, he gets open really well, quickly, and he catches the ball.”
At 5-10, it’s easy to imagine offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels using Chism in the slot, much like he did successfully for so many seasons with Wes Welker, Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman.
