New England Patriots rookie receiver Kayshon Boutte is without question one of the most intriguing players in the entire 2023 NFL draft class.
Just as quickly as he skyrocketed as one of the best receiving prospects in the country, he plummeted back down to Earth after struggling to come back from an ankle injury. Now, he finds himself with the Patriots as a sixth-round draft pick with no certainty that he’ll even make the team in the summer.
A player with Boutte’s potential could quickly overcome the daunting path ahead. During an appearance on “Inside the Birds” podcast, NFL analyst Greg Coswell made a notable comparison between Boutte and another receiver that was a late draft pick that ended up turning into one of the best playmakers in the NFL.
“He kind of reminded me, if he were to reach a ceiling, and that’s kind of the way I always think this, I think, okay, this guy has certain traits that if he can play to those traits all the time, I thought there’s a Stefon Diggs comparison to be made,” said Coswell. “People are going to go, ‘Oh my god, you’re nuts.’ Keep in mind, Diggs came out of Maryland as a fifth-round pick and the 146th player chosen in the draft.
“That’s what I was comparing him to, not Stefon Diggs in the last number of years as arguably a top-five receiver in the NFL. No one thought that of Diggs when he was a fifth-round pick and 146th player chosen. So Boutte, to me, is a fascinating player.”
Like so many other cases, Diggs’ emergence into one of the best receivers in the NFL is proof that draft position doesn’t necessarily tell the future of a player.
Boutte is explosive with the ball in his hands, and he has flashed the sort of elite talent at the receiver position that’s becoming a common theme at LSU. The Patriots’ decision to take out a sixth-round flier on that potential could take them all the way to the moon.
