Unlikely receivers stand out at Patriots' latest OTAs

The Patriots are in the midst of this year's OTAs, and a lot has already been said about several exciting and, in some cases, unexpected players. Of course, the main focus has been on how Drake Maye and his rookie teammates have been performing, but the offense as a whole remains the hottest topic of conversation.

Because they are the unit that needs to improve the most ahead of the 2024 season, there's a lot of pressure to perform accordingly. The rookies have stood above the rest so far, along with the defense continuing to put on a show.

However, a few unlikely names have moved up the ladder from their performances at practice this week, which is certainly an exciting development.

Most vulnerable receivers stand out at Patriots OTAs on Tuesday

One of the main storylines surrounding the offense this spring and summer are the players who appear to be looking in from the outside, as they need to do a lot of work to secure a spot on the team's roster this season.

Two of those players are Kayshon Boutte and JuJu Smith-Schuster, who have underperformed since joining the team during the 2023 offseason.

Boutte was drafted in the sixth round last year, along with DeMario Douglas, and has failed to fully integrate into the offense. Perhaps he had a more difficult time transitioning from college to the NFL, which is normal, but by near last season's end, Bill Belichick made him a healthy scratch, which is not a great look.

Smith-Schuster had a similar issue in his first year with the Patriots; he looked like a bust for most of the season until he was placed on injured reserve due to an injury. We now know he was dealing with a nagging knee injury that he suffered during his time with the Chiefs, resulting in his unimpressive production on an offense that really needed him to step it up.

Knowing their spots are on the line this summer, it appears Boutte and Smith-Schuster are doing all they can to get on Jerod Mayo's radar early. The pair had some of the standout catches during Tuesday's practice, providing a glimmer of hope that they will be able to be solid contributors for the offense this fall.

Maybe it's not much to get too excited over since it's just OTAs, and it's very early in the offseason. But it's a move in the right direction for both Boutte and Smith-Schuster and a positive sign for the rest of the offense.

If they can keep this up for the rest of the summer, the offense will be in a position they haven't been in quite some time; Mayo will have to be nit-picky with who to keep for the receiving corps, which is a great problem to have.

At this stage in the Patriots' rebuild, it's a problem most would welcome with open arms. They need as many contributors as possible to help elevate the team and give Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye the best chance to put the team back to success. So hopefully, this is just the start of that with Boutte and Smith-Schuster.

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