The Patriots' wide receiver room has been one of the most discussed parts of the team this offseason, mostly due to the expected and eventual arrival of AJ Brown via trade. Now that it's official, other things are being discussed, like what the receiving corps will look like for the upcoming season, with Brown taking over as the WR1.
His presence presumably means at least one player will be moved, with most pointing at Kayshon Boutte or DeMario Douglas. Both have been suspected of being trade candidates this summer, but because he has been present at OTAs, Douglas might be working to secure a role on the roster much faster than his teammate.
That is something that has been working in his favor, especially since Boutte has not been at the facility since OTAs began, and because of that, Douglas has been a star on the field for much of the past several weeks.
We saw that again earlier this week, despite most of the focus being on Brown's first practice with his new team, and Douglas is giving the Patriots a lot to think about well ahead of roster cuts.
DeMario Douglas might secure a roster spot much sooner than reporters believed he could this offseason
After reports of Douglas taking over as the top option for Drake Maye during the first public practice this spring, the receiver continued that rise when reporters were back at Gillette Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.
Mark Daniels of MassLive detailed what kind of day Douglas had, noting he tied for the most catches on the day and even had the best play of the practice, too.
"The slot receiver once again showcased the ability to get open and make people miss. Douglas led all players with six targets from Maye. His four catches tied Henry for the most among Patriots starters.
Douglas also had the play of the day when he caught a deep pass from Maye on the left sideline. As soon as he caught the ball, Douglas planted his foot and made an outstanding move, shaking cornerback Brandon Crossley out of his shoes. Crossley fell backward as Douglas darted upfield and celebrated."
Based on what we've seen so far, there's plenty of reason to believe that Douglas will continue this rise in training camp later this summer, and if so, it would be nearly impossible for the Patriots to consider cutting him.
Although he didn't blow the competition away with his performance during the 2025 season, he was a secret weapon of sorts and made explosive plays when the offense needed it most. Now that Josh McDaniels will be more familiar with him and his skill set this year, there's a chance he could be utilized more in the game planning, which would be significant.
We've seen what Douglas can do when given the chance, and if McDaniels awards him with more opportunities, it's almost certain he will thrive.
Clearly, his chemistry with Drake Maye is there and only improving as time goes on, so there's plenty of reason for the team to continue building that and using it to their advantage to have a bolder receiving corps this year.
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