Patriots WR preview after A.J. Brown trade: Who stays and goes?
· Yahoo Sports
The New England Patriots are entering the 2026 season with arguably the deepest wide receiver room in the NFL. That's a rare occurrence in New England, a place where wideouts seem to be a perennial roster need.
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Coach Mike Vrabel and the front office have done a tremendous job of surrounding third-year quarterback Drake Maye with the requisite weapons to compete against the best teams in the league.
They signed a young, emerging breakout candidate in Romeo Doubs during free agency and pulled off a blockbuster trade for three-time All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Brown on Monday.
The Patriots have more firepower on offense than they've had in years, and it all starts with the depth they have at wide receiver. Let's take a deeper look at the position ahead of the regular season.
Patriots' wide receivers on 2026 roster
- A.J. Brown
- Romeo Doubs
- Kayshon Boutte
- DeMario Douglas
- Mack Hollins
- Kyle Williams
- Efton Chism III
- Nick DeGennaro
- Kyle Dixon
- Cameron Dorner
- Jimmy Kibble
- Jeremiah Webb
Will Kayshon Boutte stick around?
The biggest question mark is the status of Kayshon Boutte, who served as the Patriots' best deep threat option last season. He is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and the team has likely capped his production by bringing in Brown and Doubs.
The Patriots would probably love to have Boutte around for another season, especially if they aren't able to get a significant return for him on the trade market. His presence makes them even better as a football team by creating premium depth at the receiver position.
Boutte sticking around is good for the Patriots, but it isn't necessarily great for the player.
The goal in 2026 for the young receiver should be running up the stat sheet and maximizing his market value in free agency next year. That's hard to do with Brown and Doubs in front of him on the depth chart. Perhaps the two sides can work out an agreement for him to stick around for the final year on his contract, but all signs are pointing toward Boutte landing elsewhere.
Who could surprise at the position?
DeMario Douglas could benefit most from the extra attention Brown and Doubs take up on the field. Even after three seasons, it still doesn't feel like the Patriots have utilized Douglas to his full potential. He has underrated skills as a deep threat option, along with the ability to make plays with the ball in his hands. The Patriots should be drawing up screen plays like crazy with Douglas during the offseason practices. They didn't utilize those enough last season.
Another player to keep an eye on is Efton Chism III, who could emerge as a top threat in the slot. Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has a long history of turning slot receivers into stars, and Chism has the potential to become a security blanket for Maye this season.
Undrafted rookie Kyle Dixon could also make some noise in training camp. It doesn't help that he hasn't been a participant at OTAs, but he has the size and athleticism to make a splash this summer. There's a reason why the Patriots signed him to a deal with $252,500 in guaranteed money.
Predicting who makes the team
- A.J. Brown
- Romeo Doubs
- DeMario Douglas
- Mack Hollins
- Kyle Williams
- Efton Chism III
I predict that the Patriots will ultimately move on from Boutte in the end. They could shake things up by bringing Stefon Diggs back into the fold, but that feels like a long-shot option at this point. It makes more sense for the receiving corps to remain intact with Brown replacing Diggs and Doubs replacing Boutte.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Patriots WR preview after A.J. Brown trade: Who stays and goes?