The New England Patriots’ wide receiver group experienced another major shakeup on Monday. After the offseason additions of A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs already set the stage, the team decided to trade Kayshon Boutte to the Houston Texans.
We already looked into what the move means for the Patriots as a whole, and gave our grades on it. Now, let’s dig a bit deeper and reassemble the Patriots’ wide receiver group with Boutte (and, to a less-impactful degree, since-released Kobe Prentice) no longer in the fold.
(Please note that the positions presented here are approximations based on the information we have available about each player. Realistically, no single player only lines up in one spot; instead, the way offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels typically employs his receivers all of them will be moved around quite a bit.)
Patriots X-receiver chartA.J. Brown (11): Brown is a proven perimeter receiver capable of lining up in the X-position and taking on opposing No.1 cornerbacks. Even at this stage in his career, he still has the speed, catch radius, football IQ, route-running prowess and physicality to become a three-down player right out of the gate — and his training camp performance already looked the part. As a result, he can be seen as the Patriots’ first pure WR1-caliber wideout since Josh Gordon’s brief stint with the organization in 2018 and 2019. A top-tier wide receiver in the NFL, Brown will be a premier weapon for quarterback Drake Maye this season and beyond.
Kyle Williams (19): New England’s third-round draft pick last year, Williams spent most of his rookie season as a second-string X-receiver behind Boutte. But even though Boutte is now a Texan, the path to a starting role is not open for Williams: with A.J. Brown the top perimeter option, the 23-year-old again projects as a backup. That being said, the Patriots are high on him and confident in his ability to not just find a role on offense and special teams but also contribute in a positive fashion as a package player and potential kickoff return option.
Cameron Dorner (88): An undrafted rookie, who played college football at Shepard and North Texas, Dorner has arguably been the best of the Patriots’ “other” wide receivers so far this summer. While that might not mean much in the grand scheme of things — he still only projects as WR7 at best — he is a realistic candidate to make it to the practice squad.
Tejhaun Palmer (80): Palmer was added to Patriots’ wide receiver mix earlier this month, and accordingly is facing an uphill battle to make it onto their 53-man squad or even the practice squad. The 2024 sixth-round draft choice looks like a camp body at this point in time, despite catching one pass each in the two preseason contests so far.
Patriots Z-receiver depth chartRomeo Doubs (87): Doubs played mostly on the outside during his time in Green Bay, and projects to play a similar role in New England. That said, with A.J. Brown part of the equation, he likely won’t be seeing many pure X-receiver snaps and instead might be used more as a multi-functional Z. An inside-out weapon capable of lining up all over the formation and getting open quickly, he can use his route running and steady hands to become a go-to receiver for Drake Maye. If training camp is any indication, that’s precisely what he is going to be.
Mack Hollins (13): Hollins was a reliable receiver in his first season with the Patriots, hauling in 52 passes for 679 yards and three touchdowns. He showed some good chemistry with Drake Maye, became a leader and role model in a young room, and provided some excellent blocking skills. At 32, he is not a long-term option at the receiver position but should be one of the player directly impacted by the Kayshon Boutte trade: on paper, he is the team’s WR4 now and first man off the bench in a variety of situations.
Efton Chism III (86): Chism spent his first NFL season as an emergency option on offense and never really emerged as an impact player on special teams either. That might change in 2026. While not pushing any of the starters, he has shown himself a versatile depth piece with a “whatever it takes” attitude. He is a crafty player who also has started getting practice reps as the personal protector on the punt team. Long story short, the former undrafted free agent could become a more valuable piece of the operation this year.
Kyle Dixon (83): Dixon has the size and athleticism of an NFL-level perimeter receiver, and posted some impressive numbers during his college career at Culver-Stockton. That said, he is facing a serious uptick in competition after joining the Patriots as a rookie free agent earlier this spring. The team does like him, as evidenced by Mike Vrabel singing his praises after the preseason game versus the Eagles, but his most realistic landing spot is still the practice squad.
Nick DeGennaro (23): DeGennaro has an intriguing athletic profile and caught the game-winning touchdown during last week’s preseason win over the Eagles. However, the numbers simply work against him: with nine other wideouts under contract even after the Boutte trade, including six that can be considered fairly safe bets to make the team, he too is competing for a practice squad spot more than anything else.
Patriots F-receiver depth chartDeMario Douglas (3): Douglas is a fascinating player. His ability to quickly get open as well as his chemistry with Drake Maye are evident, but his lack of power and alignment versatility have limited him to a fairly specialized role for much of his career. Will this change in 2026? He has consistently seen starter reps alongside A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs this summer and is the clear top slot receiver on the team — in part because he is its only pure slot — but has been comparatively quiet as of late. He went through a similar trajectory last year and eventually resulted in him playing only 27% of offensive snaps. Time will tell what happens this season.
The Patriots continue rebuilding their wide receiving corps around third-year quarterback Drake Maye. Among the weapons who are left after the Boutte trade, six can be considered relatively safe bets to make the roster: A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs are penciled in as starters, with DeMario Douglas the top option in the slot. Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism also are expected to be part of the mix.
Even with Boutte no longer part of the picture, this is the deepest and most talented wide receiver group the Patriots have had for a while — and definitely since Maye was drafted in 2024. Removing one of his favorite targets does weaken the group overall, but there are only so many targets to go around in the first place.
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