If anyone told a Patriots fan going into this year's offseason that one of the most competitive positions throughout training camp would be wide receiver, it's fair to believe that not many would actually believe it. That hasn't been a problem the team has had to face in several years, which has negatively impacted the offense.
But the desire to surround Drake Maye with the most talent possible has given the team the luxury of making some tough decisions with their pass catchers.
That only worsened with some incredible performances in their preseason opener against the Commanders on Friday night, with undrafted free agent (UDFA) Efton Chism standing out the most with a fourth-down touchdown halfway through the third quarter.
.@EftonChism making it work on 4th down 💸@Bwool8 | #NEPats
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) August 9, 2025
📺: WBZ pic.twitter.com/2MlgeEMO5v
But that wasn't where his standout performance ended. In fact, by the end of the night, Chism led the team in receptions and yards by recording 6/8 catches for 50 yards and a score. That officially heats up the battle at the position for the rest of training camp and gives Mike Vrabel an unavoidable difficult decision to make before Week 1.
The Patriots have a wide receiver problem but not for the typical reason they've been dealing with
After an impressive showing during OTAs and minicamp this spring, Chism's rise had noticeably slowed down since training camp began. Other receivers, like Javon Baker and Kayshon Boutte, started to dominate the spotlight, along with DeMario Douglas stealing the show during every practice, leaving Chism to be nearly forgotten until Friday night.
The UDFA had proven he could be a force to be reckoned with and impressed all the right people, even earning comparisions to some Patriots greats like Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman. But he didn't show that again until the preseason game, reminding Vrabel that it won't be easy to narrow down the receiving corps for the season ahead.
It won't be any easier, either, when you quarterback is hyping Chism up after the game.
#Patriots QB Drake Maye on WR Efton Chism:
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) August 9, 2025
“He’s a baller… you saw it tonight. Making plays. He got in the end zone… Just blocking hard, doing all the right things… You keep doing things the right way and keep showing up, you’re gonna get rewarded.”
Chism 📈📈📈 pic.twitter.com/TTT1knmBAy
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It's a problem the Patriots are fortunate to have at this point because they have spent far too many seasons hoping to find competant players to elevate their offense and more often than not, they struck out big time.
That became a talking point during the later years of Bill Belichick's career, with moments like an unthinkable trade for Mohamed Sanu in 2019 or the decision to select N'Keal Harry in the first round that same year over players like A.J. Brown and Deebo Samuel tainted his legacy.
The new regime's problem this year will fortunately not be due to a lack of talent in the wide receiver room but the complete opposite. That could force them to keep more receivers than they usually would, something Josh McDaniels is known for doing, as they could easily keep seven on the team and that would still require some questionable cuts.