The New England Patriots’ wide receiver position is one of the most crowded depth charts in the NFL, with a mix of established players and young rookies vying for roster spots. In this breakdown, we’ll separate the “locks” from the rest, examining who’s likely to make the team and who’s at risk.
At the top of the list, Kyle Williams stands as the only receiver who can be reasonably argued as a 100% lock. As a rookie third-round pick, he simply cannot be cut or traded before playing his first game. However, even Williams’ spot is not without question, given Stefon Diggs’ off-field issues and potential health concerns.
Diggs, despite being signed by the Patriots before an ACL injury, still carries a risk due to his history of off-field escapades. This limits him to around 95% lock status, while DeMario Douglas projects as a top target in Josh McDaniels’ returning offense but lacks strong connections to the coaching staff and carries some trade value.
Mack Hollins, meanwhile, has easily the team’s best size at the position but lacks talent to warrant 100% lock status. Kendrick Bourne, on the other hand, has a clear connection to the coaching staff and is likely to make the team, despite being vulnerable to trade or being cut outright due to his lack of athleticism.
The questionable tier features Kayshon Boutte, who emerged as a dependable target last season but remains shopped in offseason trade rumors. Ja’Lynn Polk quickly became one of the most polarizing players on the team and is hard to imagine getting cut before his second season. Efton Chism III falls into an exclusive tier by himself, separated between “questionable” and “long shot,” while Javon Baker, DeMeer Blankumsee, John Jiles, and Jeremiah Webb round out the long shots.
In this breakdown, we project five wide receivers to make the Patriots’ roster, with Mack Hollins being the notable cut. Barth and author Alex Barth’s projection differs slightly, but both agree that the Pats need a deeper receiver corps.
Source: https://985thesportshub.com/2025/07/17/patriots-wide-receiver-roster-locks