There’s a wide range of outcomes for Patriots draft pick Kayshon Boutte, to say the least.
On one hand, it’s not hard to envision Boutte, a former-first-round prospect who endured character and effort concerns at LSU, being out of New England before training camp even starts. On the other hand, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the ultra-talented receiver carve out a sizable role as a Patriots rookie.
Boutte, a star recruit in high school, occasionally was a dynamic and explosive weapon for the Tigers in 2020, including a 308-yard game against Ole Miss. But injuries and both on- and off-field troubles the last two seasons — along with a dreadful performance in March at the NFL scouting combine — caused his stock to plummet before the 2023 NFL Draft. He wound up being selected by New England in the sixth round Saturday night.
During a post-draft Zoom Call, Patriots director of player personnel Matt Groh offered his own thoughts on Boutte.
“Just got off the phone with some of these undrafted guys who we are looking to sign and had the message for them and that really goes for everybody,” Groh said. “Now, the opportunity is yours, and it’s up to you to make the most of it. Kayshon had an unfortunate injury in 2021 and sometimes it takes a little bit of time to come back from those things and it’s really going to be up to him to come in here with the right mindset.
“He’s got all the potential in the world. If he wants to apply himself and to reach that potential… look, we are going to do everything we can to help him succeed. We’re going to give him every resource we can. As the saying goes: Players are our greatest resource. We made an investment in Kayshon here in the sixth round, so looking forward to see what he can do with his opportunity.”
Boutte also dealt with an ankle injury ahead of the combine, although he told reporters on Saturday that it didn’t factor into his combine performance. He also said the injury shouldn’t prevent him from participating in offseason practices.
The wideout faces an uphill battle toward earning a spot on New England’s roster. With four spots on the Patriots’ receiver depth chart largely locked up, he likely will compete with the likes of Tre Nixon, Lynn Bowden and fellow rookie Demario Douglas for the final spot.
Ability isn’t the issue with Boutte. The primary concerns are whether he can be a professional and do what’s required in New England. But if he figures it out, the Patriots could cash in on a late-round lottery ticket.
“Talent-wise, he’s as good as anybody they got,” ESPN’s Louis Riddick said during the network’s draft telecast. “Anybody that they’ve got.”
