Round seven of positional previews for training camp will focus on wide receivers. I've ripped through cornerbacks and running backs (last week), tight ends, interior offensive line, inside linebackers, and safeties. Today, a longer look at the wideouts, which is deeper but is it better?
WRs: Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins, Pop Douglas, Kyle Williams, Kayshon Boutte, Ja'Lynn Polk, Kendrick Bourne, Javon Baker, Etfon Chism, Demeer Blankumsee, John Jiles, Jeremiah Webb
What I Like About This Group: There are actual NFL players at the top of the depth chart and some intriguing younger options.
What I Dislike About This Group: Relying on the 31-year-old Diggs to be their best receiver, especially coming off the ACL tear and after his spotty commitment this spring.
X-Factors: Chism and Williams. This organization has set some sort of record of mis-evaluation of talent at this position. Could it be that this new regime, combined with the old, has found a couple of kids who can play?
Let's start with this: Diggs has been one of my favorite receivers to watch in the league for years. So, for the few of you in the chat who think I have an axe to grind when it comes to him, I can't help you. I didn't make him skip most of the OTAs, nor did I tell him it would be wise to have yourself captured on video with some pink powder. Diggs is a grown man. He made those decisions, decisions the team wasn't happy about. They are in the "forgive but don't forget" phase of their relationship. He controls what happens next.
At his best, Diggs is one of the top route runners in football, an absolute technician who understands how to use a defender's leverage against them. He has an outstanding release package and an excellent feel for coverages. Diggs didn't have a problem working underneath linebackers or in front of safeties, knowing that he was exposing himself to some big-boy hits. That consistency faded in the second half of each of his last two seasons in Buffalo. The drops added up, his frustration grew, and by the final eight or so games of the 2023-24 season, Diggs' production waned, as did his role in the offense.
The veteran pass catcher found a happy place in Houston to start 2024-25 before the torn ACL ended his campaign. The Texans said wonderful things about him to every Boston media member with ties to that organization, but they made no effort to retain his services. As I mentioned in my last NFL Notebook, the Pats are paying him to be the guy, at least for this year. Can he find that level one more time? It sure would help Drake Maye and this passing offense.
For all the talk about Diggs counseling the young WRs, that's actually Hollins' role. That, and giving the team a big-bodied target on the outside. He had his best season in Josh McDaniels' offense for Vegas, and while we're several years removed from that, Hollins became a key target for Josh Allen this past year. I'm not expecting 60 catches, but 30 and some red zone touchdowns would be well worth the price. Additionally, he's an excellent special teams player.
Douglas tied for the team lead in catches 66, and there's hope that he can eat as the slot in McDaniels' system. I'm not denigrating the player's previous accomplishments, but to succeed in this offense, Douglas will have to show an improved feel, something that the best offensive minds don't believe can be coached. You either got it, or you don't.
That's where Chism comes in. He impressed this spring by being where he was supposed to be and then catching whatever came his way. The UDFA showed some of the feel I'm talking about, which is why members of the coaching staff are intrigued by his potential. Chism will face a more difficult challenge this summer. The physicality he'll see in practice and the joint practices and preseason games will be greater than anything he saw at Eastern Washington. Can he keep it going and push Douglas for playing time? That's an important camp battle.
The Pats would love it if another rookie, third-rounder Williams, emerged sooner rather than later. It would make roster decisions easier knowing that the former Washington State product was ready for a substantial role. I expect Williams to be given a chance to make that push in camp, but what he needs to do is string together more than a moment here or a moment there, as was the case in the spring. That's what Baker did last spring and summer. Polk did even more than that. Williams has a different skill set than the latter, and with the offense desiring someone to create explosives, the opportunity will be there. Time to capitalize.
Boutte came a long way as a player a season ago, even if he couldn't shake bouts of immaturity. He put off the previous coaching staff, and he may not have shown up in the best shape for this one, though he rounded into condition as the spring progressed. Boutte ran almost exclusively with the 1s this spring, but like Williams, rarely saw targets. I don't know what to make of that, considering Diggs wasn't a real participant.
Bourne did participate and received a ton of important reps. He had his best year in a McDaniels offense back in 2021-22, and while his performance was overstated then (and has only grown since), Bourne's versatility is valuable, as is his energy. Yes, he "knows" the offense, but that didn't stop him from lining up in the wrong spot several times this spring. At this point, it's clear that's part of who the 29-year-old is (he'll be 30 at the beginning of August). With more competition, that may be a tiebreaker for who stays and who goes.
We didn't see Baker catch a ball in 11-on-11 drills during OTAs and mandatory minicamp. That's a brief snapshot of the spring, but it's noteworthy. Baker is talented enough to play in this league, but he's a long shot to make this roster and will need a massive summer (or injuries to other players).
As for Polk, the history of players drafted that highly, having as unproductive a rookie season as he did, and then actually becoming something in the NFL is rare.
We didn't get to see Polk do much this spring as he recovered from shoulder surgery, so a chance to make an instant impression on wide receiver coach Todd Downing, McDaniels, and Vrabel has gone by the wayside. I will tell you I liked how hard he worked when we were in attendance, but whether that can translate when it matters remains to be seen. I haven't yet closed the book on the second-rounder.
Of the remaining wideouts, Jiles stands out because of his size (6'3", 220). He had had a couple of nice days in May and June.