Patriots' Overlooked WR Could Be Massive Sleeper

This New England Patriots wide receiver could break out down the stretch of the NFL season.

Oct 13, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (9) makes a catch for a touchdown in front of Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. (24) during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots are absolutely starving for offensive weapons, and no matter how they try out at wide receiver, nothing seems to work out.

Free-agent signing K.J. Osborn has been a massive disappointment. Rookies Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker have been non-existent. Kendrick Bourne has been a relative non-factor since returning from his torn ACL earlier this season.

But the Patriots do have one wide out that is very intriguing: Kayshon Boutte.

New England selected Boutte in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and during his rookie campaign, he played in just five games, logging two catches for 19 yards.

The LSU product was essentially an afterthought heading into 2024, but recently, he has been emerging as a legitimate target for Drake Maye.

Boutte has totaled 13 grabs for 203 yards and a score on the year overall, but the bulk of his production has come over the last five games (he has 11 receptions during that span).

Perhaps not so serendipitously, Boutte's sudden rise has coincided with Maye supplanting Jacoby Brissett as the Pats' starting quarterback.

Maye really seems to trust Boutte, as he has gone to the young pass-catcher in numerous big moments over the last several weeks.

Actually, Maye has targeted Boutte 12 times over the Patriots' last two contests.

The 22-year-old Boutte spent three seasons at LSU and was not exactly a top-tier receiver, but he was consistent. During his final year with the Tigers, he caught 48 passes for 538 yards and a couple of touchdowns.

Boutte actually underperformed at LSU, as many had him pegged as a top prospect when the Tigers initially recruited him.

So perhaps the New Iberia, La. native can finally break out of his shell on the NFL level?

We obviously shouldn't count the chickens before the eggs hatch, but it's hard not to like what Boutte has produced in recent weeks.

We'll see if that continues as the second half of the 2024 campaign progresses.

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