Pats Pulpit
Despite standing at just 5-foot-10, it’s been nearly impossible to miss Efton Chism III on the New England Patriots’ practice fields this offseason. After being one of the team’s spring standouts, the undrafted wide receiver out of Eastern Washington has now been piling up catches in recent days of training camp.
But his best work may be coming off the field, where Chism has made a quick impression on his teammates and coaches.
“Absolute joy to work with. His work ethic is second to none. A guy that understands that he’s got to fight for all of his opportunities and then make the most of them when he gets them,” wide receiver coach Todd Downing said Monday. “From the spring until now, I think he has a little bit more comfort and grasp of the offense, which helps him play faster. You’re seeing him then take the next steps of playing more physical on route tops and finishing catches.”
Chism’s improvement showed when the Patriots returned to practice this week, as he went up to finish a contested catch in the end zone with Marcus Jones tight in coverage off a pass from Joshua Dobbs on Sunday.
That came after the Patriots’ preseason opener, where Chism led the team with six receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown. His performance drew praise from both head coach Mike Vrabel and quarterback Drake Maye, who Chism then shared the field with at times in Monday’s scout-team work as preparation for joint practice in Minnesota began.
“He fits really well within the scheme and offense. He does a great job in the routes that he has of being fast when he needs to, but also being strategic when he needs to,” Dobbs said. He’s a QB-friendly target, like in the red zone or on third down. He gets a lot of good matchups, and he wins those matchups, which is most important. So we saw the plays that he made in the game, but as you guys have probably seen, like he’s done it practice, starting back in the spring, now throughout camp, and it’s good to see it in game situations.”
For Dobbs, the veteran quarterback’s attention has also been caught by Chism’s work off the field, which has included seeking advice from older players such as Dobbs and Mack Hollins, as well as adding extra walkthrough reps before games and practices.
“He’s growing each day. I would say his attention to detail is probably what has allowed him to take advantage of those opportunities,” Dobbs said. “He’s playing the mental game before practice and before the game, so that he’s prepared when he steps on the field. So, he deserves all the love that he’s getting, but I think he understands that it’s just one day at a time, take advantage of each opportunity, and each day is a new day to go out and dominate and make plays on the field.”
