The New England Patriots’ wide receiver depth has been a hot topic over the course of training camp. However, two rookies have impressed over the past couple weeks in wideouts Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas.
Boutte has especially stepped up in practice recently. He is beginning to come on and make plays for the offense. He even got some time in the preseason opener against the Houston Texans last week. He had 32 snaps and caught a pair of passes for seven yards.
Douglas did not play much at all in the opener, as he was only on the field for two snaps. It could potentially be a sign of good things to come for Douglas, who received the star treatment with extra rest. Only time will tell how involved he actually is with the top unit.
On Wednesday, the duo had another strong practice in a joint scrimmage with the Green Bay Packers. Patriots.com’s Evan Lazar reported a strong opening sequence for Douglas and an overall solid day for Boutte as well.
A bright spot for the #Patriots offense was rookie WRs Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte. Boutte had four catches in opening team period that was his best sequence of the summer.
Douglas’s route-running showed out on a crosser and whip route.
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) August 16, 2023
The two rookies have made for some interesting competition in the New England wide receiver room.
Perhaps more impressively is the possibility that the Patriots might have actually hit on two late-round receivers in the same draft. Nothing is set in stone by any means, but so far, things appear to be trending in a positive direction for the sixth-round picks.
