Kayshon Boutte has a big day at Patriots' training camp

There was a Kayshon Boutte sighting today at the New England Patriots training camp. The sixth-round draft pick out of LSU, while present every day of camp, was barely noticeable through the first week. today he took full advantage of Tyquan Thornton's absence, and give a glimpse into why people were calling him the steal of the draft a few months ago.

Boutte started off the day in one-on-one drills versus the Patriots defensive secondary. He was able to beat both first-round pick Christian Gonzalez, and Patriots veteran Jonathan Jones. Whether it was that performance, or whether it was planned, Boutte then found himself taking snaps with the first-team offense, where he was able to bring in his first reception of the off-season from quarterback Mac Jones.

The last three games of Boutte's freshman season at LSU, he pulled in 8 catches for 111 yards against Alabama, 5 catches for 108 yards against Florida, and then a mind-blowing 14 catches for 308 yards and three touchdowns against Mississippi. He started his sophomore year with 9 catches for 148 yards and three touchdowns against UCLA. He was being projected as a top-five overall pick, like former Tiger Ja'Marr Chase in 2021.

The back half of his college career was hardly as impressive, and he all but disappeared his junior season. Boutte did not impress at the NFL combine, clocking a 4.50 second 40-yard dash and a 29-inch vertical. The Patriots selected him in the sixth round, and those who remembered his first two seasons at LSU were calling him a potential steal.

He did not show it through the first week of practice, but we certainly got to see what all the fuss was about today. Hopefully, Boutte will continue to put in the work and prove all those post-draft predictions correct. The wide receiver room needs all the help it can get.