Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs is coming off a torn ACL which limited him to eight games last season.
Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs is coming off a torn ACL which limited him to eight games last season.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
With training camp set to start at the end of the month, we’ll provide a position-by-position breakdown of where the Patriots stand. Today, it’s the wide receivers.
Earlier:Quarterbacks
Roll call: Stefon Diggs (47 catches, 496 yards, 3 TDs with Houston), Mack Hollins (31-378-5 with Buffalo), Kyle Williams (rookie), Kendrick Bourne (28-305-1), DeMario Douglas (66-621-3), Kayshon Boutte (43-589-3), Efton Chism (rookie), Javon Baker (1-12-0), Ja’Lynn Polk (12-87-2), Jeremiah Webb, John Jiles, DeMeer Blankumsee.
By the numbers:
1: Game in which a New England receiver topped 100 yards last season (Boutte, who had 117 yards in the regular-season finale against the Bills).
5: Consecutive seasons the Patriots have gone without a 1,000-yard receiver. The last was Julian Edelman in 2019.
6: Consecutive seasons (2018-23) in which Diggs topped 1,000 yards before a knee injury sidelined him after eight games last year.
90: Number of offensive snaps played by Baker in 2024.
1,718: Receiving yards put up by Patriots receivers in 2024. That’s only 10 more than the Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase had by himself to lead the league.
The skinny: After a woeful 2024, the Patriots did their best to address the position during the offseason, signing free agents Diggs and Hollins, drafting Williams, and pursuing other targets in free agency such as Chris Godwin (who returned to Tampa Bay for $20 million less than he would have received from New England).
Did they do enough? Diggs is coming off a torn ACL, and while rehabbing in Florida, he made news off the field. Hollins (also a special teams standout) brings an added layer of depth and familiarity with Josh McDaniels from a stretch in Las Vegas, but he didn’t practice this spring in front of the media. And despite the fact that Williams had a sparkling senior season at Washington State, New England’s track record of drafting receivers is spotty at best.
Diggs, Hollins, Williams, and Douglas figure to be roster locks. With the understanding the Patriots have traditionally kept six receivers, that would leave plenty of interesting possibilities on the outside looking in.
Polk and Baker were underwhelming last year, but the Patriots might not be inclined to give up on them after only one season. Meanwhile, if he shows he’s back to 100 percent, Bourne could rely on his familiarity with McDaniels — he’s the only returning receiver who has been part of a McDaniels offense — and his leadership skills to land a spot. Boutte showed nice chemistry with Drake Maye last year, but with the state of the depth chart, he knows that might not be enough.
“We’ve got a lot of guys, there’s 12 of us,” Boutte said in May. “At the end of the day, there will probably be six of us, if we be honest. Every day is another opportunity to get better and be great. We all know we’re in competition, but it’s up to us at the end of the day.”
Ultimately, the Patriots head into 2025 with questions at receiver, but Diggs is the most important piece of the puzzle. If he can steer clear of off-field issues, he might be able to do for Maye what he did for Josh Allen in their initial year-plus together in Buffalo. If so, the gamble the Patriots made on the 31-year-old could pay off in 2025 and beyond.
How does this position rate against the rest of the league? The ceiling could be higher than anticipated if Diggs can regain his form and Williams plays as advertised, but heading into camp, this group is among the bottom third of the league.
**Quote of note:**“We’ll see how it goes. Obviously, I’m grinding each and every day. I’m eager to get out there, so whenever they do push the button, I’m going to be ready . . . Where I am right now, I wouldn’t really put a percentage on it, but I’ve got some work to do."
— Diggs, speaking about his continuing rehab during June minicamp.
Biggest story lines: Can Diggs regain the form that made him one of the most feared pass catchers in the league? Can he stay focused? How many receivers end up making the roster? Will Chism’s strong spring and special teams bona fides play a role in him elbowing out the likes of Baker at the back end of the depth chart?
Christopher Price can be reached at christopher.price@globe.com. Follow him @cpriceglobe.