The Patriots' 2025 roster needed a major rebuild after a disastrous 4-13, 2024 season. New Head Coach Mike Vrabel has put his stamp on the team with numerous additions on both sides of the ball. They can't help but be an improvement over last year's squad.
On defense, his forte, Vrabel added playmakers all over the lot. He added he best defensive tackle available, Milton Williams, and several new linebackers and edge players. In addition, he signed another lockdown cornerback to team with Christian Gonzalez.
On offense, he signed or drafted six new offensive linemen, four of whom are possible starters. He also drafted explosive running back TreVeyon Henderson, who's already proving to be an explosive addition, and signed or drafted four new wide receivers.
One of them he signed was a pass-catching machine, undrafted free agent, Efton Chism III.
Efton Chism III has already made a strong case to make the roster and play
Efton Chism was signed to a guaranteed undrafted free agent contract by the Patriots. It was a sign of the faith they had in him, and he hasn't disappointed one iota. From the beginning of mini-camp, he's demonstrated that Mike Vrabel and personnel head Eliot Wolf spent that money wisely.
Chism caught 120 passes in 12 games last season for Eastern Washington. He's already drawing comparisons to former all-time top Patriots' smaller slot receivers like Troy Brown, Danny Amendola, and Julian Edelman, with his ability to get open and catch the ball.
Chism is leaving little doubt that Vrabel and his Offensive Coordinator, Josh McDaniels, should lock Chism onto the 53-man final roster, and if they're smart, have him playing in every game all season, as well. Chism is a star in the making, and he's proved it without doubt in his first two preseason games.
Mike Vrabel and company have seen Efton Chism shine in his first two preseason games
Chism has left little doubt that he can meet the challenges of the NFL and more, not that there was any doubt in observers who looked at his record at Eastern Washington. You throw him the rock, and he catches and advances it. He has to make the roster and play, or Vrabel will be making a colossal mistake.
In his first NFL game, a preseason tilt against Washington, Chism caught six passes for 50 yards and a touchdown in his baptism of fire in the NFL. But he was just getting warmed up for his next game when he broke out even more emphatically against the Vikings.
Against Minnesota in another win, Chism put on a show. He again locked onto six passes, but in this game, he gained 71 yards and scored another touchdown. And that's not all. In the process of making those six catches, Chism demonstrated his uncanny ability to break tackles and get yards after the catch. If the NFL dished out "Man-of-the-Game" awards, it would have gone to him.
All this leads to one inescapable conclusion: Efton Chism II is an NFL-level player and a whole lot more. Chism has the talent to be a game-changer for the New England Patriots, and he's just getting started, as his awesome performances in his first two preseason games have emphatically demonstrated. Expect great things from the rookie in 2025.