It was clear last season that the Patriots needed to make additions to the offense during the 2025 offseason, most notably to the wide receiver room. Additions they made, bringing in Stefon Diggs to be the alpha, Mack Hollins as a complementary piece, and Kyle Williams through the draft.
When factoring in the already rostered Kayshon Boutte and Pop Douglas, one has to feel a lot better about their unit for this season.
With the more notable additions and well-received draft class, one player flew more under the radar: Efton Chism III, an undrafted rookie from Eastern Washington. EWU wouldn't be a school you'd expect to have a great track record with wideouts, but both Cooper Kupp and Kendrick Bourne were rostered from 2013 to 2016. Chism has more catches than Kupp ever did in his final season.
Efton Chism showed out for the Patriots during the preseason in a way nobody expected
Admittedly, Chism's contract turned heads: his $259,000 in guarantees was even more than sixth-round pick Andy Borregales' total, and he looked to be a shoo-in for the practice squad at minimum.
What he did in the first two preseason games was unprecedented, though. In his first matchup against the Commanders, he put together a six-catch performance that totaled 50 yards, and he nabbed his first touchdown on a fourth-down pass from fellow UDFA Ben Wooldridge.
In the second matchup, he once again had six catches and a touchdown, this time for 71 yards. He didn't even play in the second half. His ability to bounce off defenders for both a key third-down conversion and his touchdown was on full display, and it was hard not to smile as it seemed the Patriots found yet another under-the-radar shifty slot receiver.
Despite his excellent play, getting snaps in a crowded receiver room will be difficult, but given his omission from the final preseason game, it seems clear he's on the 53. Diggs, Douglas, Boutte, Hollins, and Williams are all above him for the time being, while Kendrick Bourne could be on his way out the door, given Chism's play.
While a UDFA making the team isn't uncommon, it isn't typical to see one be this dominant and be given the privilege to sit out the final game. All things considered, there isn't a clearer winner this preseason than EWU's Efton Chism III.