Patriots
“I just think coming with the mindset of ‘Nothing’s guaranteed. Nobody owes me anything.”
After spending heavily on the defensive side in free agency with pickups like Milton Williams, Carlton Davis, Harold Landry, and Robert Spillane, the Patriots prioritized offense during the 2025 NFL Draft.
New England used two of its first four picks to upgrade its porous offensive line by selecting left tackle Will Campbell and center Jared Wilson. Their second-round pick was used to add a dynamic running back in TreVeyon Henderson, while its first third-round selection was allocated toward a potential big-play wideout in Kyle Williams.
A dynamic receiver like Williams would be a welcome addition to a Patriots offensive personnel headlined by Drake Maye and a healthy Stefon Diggs.
But, New England might have another rookie receiver worth keeping tabs on in undrafted pickup Efton Chism III.
The 23-year-old wideout out of Eastern Washington may not be the most imposing figure at 5-foot-10, nor did the impressive body of work he compiled with the Eagles prompt any team to select him in the first seven rounds of the ‘25 Draft.
But Chism’s track record in college, his explosive skill set, and Josh McDaniels’ knack for utilizing undersized slot receivers in his offensive schemes all bode well for Chism’s chances of sticking in Foxborough.
“I think he’s a talented player. I think he has a certain skill set. He’s dedicated. He’s studied extremely hard,” Mike Vrabel said of Chism earlier this week during minicamp. “He has a good feel for what we’re asking him to do. I think the biggest thing for receivers is that there’s trust from the guy that throws the football.
“When you earn the quarterback’s trust – any one of them that we have, any one of the three – it doesn’t take you long to figure out who the quarterback trusts. It’s the ones they target. That’s a good indicator.”
Only so much can be gleaned from OTA and minicamp practices, especially with 11-on-11 drills and other sequences all limited to no-contact. But Chism’s hands, stop-and-start acceleration, and crisp route running made him a dependable target during all media-attended practices over the last few weeks.
“Chism has had about 50 catches, I feel like, in OTAs,” Maye said this week of the rookie.
Despite the lack of any tangible draft hype surrounding Chism, the shifty wideout stuffed the stat sheet at Eastern Washington, breaking several school records previously held by Cooper Kupp — including the most receptions in a single season (120).
During the 2024 season, he posted 120 receptions, 1,311 yards, and 13 touchdowns.
And while it remains to be seen if Chism can replicate the production that Kupp generated in the NFL ranks, he has already been a regular playmaker during these early days of the preseason with New England.
“It’s been awesome to get the opportunity to learn an NFL offense especially because his offense is a special and unique thing,” Chism said. “When you think of coach McDaniels, you think of a highly respected OC. Trying to do everything I can to learn it the best I can to adapt to it and go out there and play at 100%.”
If Chism can develop into a dependable slot option for Maye, it would give New England and its franchise quarterback a safety blanket — capable of converting on short-yardage situations and keeping drives alive during critical situations.
He still has a long way to go in terms of leapfrogging other established players on New England’s depth chart. But Chism hasn’t let this building preseason hype take away from his approach on the field.
“I just think coming with the mindset of ‘Nothing’s guaranteed. Nobody owes me anything,’” Chism said. “I’m trying to take advantage of every opportunity I get. If that’s a scout team rep or if that’s a special teams rep – whatever it is. And building the QB’s trust where they want to throw me the ball.”
Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.