The New England Patriots made a concerted effort to improve their wide receiver group in 2025, and they did. Veteran additions Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins had a positive impact; rookie Kyle Williams had some flash plays; Kayshon Boutte took a step forward under a new coaching staff and in a new offensive system.
And yet, the group as a whole is facing an unclear future. In fact, there is an argument to be made that 2025 third-round pick Williams is the only true roster lock for the upcoming season at this point.
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Needless to say, the wide receiver room might be due some more change in the coming weeks.
Patriots wide receiver depth chart
Kayshon Boutte: After some offseason speculation that he might be a trade candidate, Boutte ended up playing possibly the best football of his career in 2025 and establishing himself as a serious. field-stretcher for the Patriots and one of Drake Maye’s favorite targets. As such, he saw action in 18 games and ended up catching 42 total passes for 719 yards — an impressive average of 17.1 yards per catch — as well as seven touchdowns. He did run a bit hot and cold at times, but ultimately was New England’s top X-receiver and most consistent big-play threat throughout the season. | Signed (2027 UFA) | $3.65M cap hit
Stefon Diggs: Diggs has been the subject of some off-field questions lately, but there are few issues when it comes to his contributions to the 2025 Patriots. Sure, he was comparatively quiet in the playoffs and saw his yards per game cut in half compared to the regular season, but he still finished the year ranked first among New England’s pass catchers in receptions (99) and yards (1,123), while also hauling in five touchdowns. For a player in a new system who tore his ACL in October 2024, that is an impressive output even if he ran out of steam down the stretch. He also was a vocal and emotional leader for the team and its young offense. | Signed (2028 UFA) | $26.5M cap hit
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Mack Hollins: Needless to say, Josh McDaniels knows how to get the most out of Mack Hollins. His two seasons under McDaniels so far were the best two of Hollins’ career in the NFL. In 17 combined games in 2025, he caught 52 passes for 679 yards and three touchdowns while also playing a prominent role as a physical blocker in the run game and noticeable locker room presence/hype man. While not a No. 1 receiver by any means, he showed some good chemistry with Drake Maye as a three-down wideout and starter-level contributor. | Signed (2027 UFA) | $5.15M cap hit
DeMario Douglas: Quality not quantity was the theme of Douglas’ third season in New England. While he did finish with his lowest statistical output so far — 39 combined regular season and playoff catches for 531 yards and four touchdowns — he managed to make several big catches and saw his success rate climb from to a career-best 56.4%. So, why did he only play 27% of snaps as a rotational third option operating mostly out of the slot? The team seemingly had limited faith in his ability to have a positive impact on early downs and in the run game. | Signed (2027 UFA) | $3.64M cap hit
Kyle Williams: Compared to other members of the Patriots’ 2025 rookie class, Williams had a relatively unremarkable first season as a pro. He did see action in all 21 games as the top rotational option on the perimeter, but hauled in only 12 passes on 27 targets for a team-worst catch rate of 44.4%. When he did get on the same page as Drake Maye and the ball ended up in his hands, however, he made it count: the third-rounder gained 223 total yards for an average of 18.6 yards per catch while also finding the end zone three times. | Signed (2029 UFA) | $1.52M cap hit
Efton Chism III: A preseason standout who managed to sneak his way onto the Patriots’ 53-man roster, Chism was largely a non-factor in 2025. As a receiver, the undrafted rookie caught four passes for 95 yards and a touchdown while he averaged only 23.7 yards on his 19 kickoff returns. He had his moments, but they were few and far in between for a player who spent a majority of the season as either a healthy scratch or little more than an emergency option. | Signed (2028 RFA) | $1.01M cap hit
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Jeremiah Webb: Like Efton Chism, fellow UDFA Jeremiah Webb also had a fairly productive preseason. Unlike Chism, however, it did not lead him to the active roster. Webb ended up spending his entire rookie season on the practice squad and despite being elevated to the game day team on one occasion failed to see the field. | Signed (2027 ERFA) | $885k cap hit
John Jiles: Jiles earned some praise from the Patriots in the offseason and put up some solid numbers in preseason, but he unsurprisingly failed to make the 53-man roster. He did, however, spend all of 2025 as a practice squad player and scout team wideout. | Signed (2027 ERFA) | $885k cap hit
Patriots offseason preview
In theory, the Patriots could decide to just run their entire wide receiver room back in 2026 and hope for some natural growth within the unit in its second season together. However, the chances of that happening appear to be relatively low for a multitude of reasons relative to each player and the group as a whole.
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Let’s go down the list.
Kayshon Boutte made some big plays, including beating All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. for a deep touchdown in the divisional playoffs, but he is not a player opposing defenses have to fear on an every-down basis; Stefon Diggs did not look his best in the playoffs, is carrying a $26.5 million salary cap figure with a somewhat manageable dead cap number ($9.7M), and is facing serious legal questions; Mack Hollins is a complementary player more than anything; DeMario Douglas’ value is limited to passing downs; Kyle Williams struggled to consistently earn both a role and Drake Maye’s trust; the rest have shown little so far to suggest they will be impact players in 2026 and beyond.
Outside of Williams, whose draft status effectively guarantees him at least one more year, the questions could lead to the Patriots moving on from each individual wideout on their current roster. Obviously, that won’t happen — you still need somebody to catch passes beyond a sophomore with 12 career receptions to his name — but the potential for change is undeniable.
So, what will it look like?
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The Patriots could go down several avenues. They could bring in veteran help to compete with the likes of Boutte, Hollins or Douglas either through trade or free agency (or both). They also could look to the draft to add some much-needed playmaking potential to the group; the lack of a true WR1-caliber target stood out especially in the playoffs.
In addition, they could use Boutte or Douglas as trade chips entering the final year of their respective rookie pacts. They could decide to part ways with Diggs or Hollins to free up resources (and in the former’s case rid themselves of some off-field concerns).
The possibilities, as can be seen, are manifold. Obviously, a lot will depend on the first chips to fall: free agency and the trade market, followed by $6 million of Diggs’ salary becoming fully-guaranteed on March 13 and his next court date on April 1.
Name-wise Diggs is the biggest of those chips. That said, he is far from the only member of the Patriots’ current group of wide receivers whose future is not as set in stone as their play seemed to suggest at times in 2025.
