By Mark Daniels Tribune News Service
FOXBOROUGH – It hasn’t taken long for New England Patriots rookies Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III to make their mark this spring.
The play of the day came from Kyle Williams. The wide receiver from Washington State caught a 40-yard touchdown pass during the first 11-on-11 period. Williams blew through the Patriots secondary and split safeties Dell Pettus and Marcus Epps en route to catching the ball and running in the end zone.
During the first red zone drill, Drake Maye’s first touchdown pass went to TreVeyon Henderson. The rookie running back has constantly rotated with Rhamondre Stevenson on offense. His burst of speed continues to be eye-opening.
While praising both Williams and Henderson, Maye also noted that undrafted rookie receiver Efton Chism III continues to impress.
“I think you just saw it, they’re making plays all day,” Maye said when asked about Williams and Henderson. “We got to find a way to get them involved. Looking forward to seeing kind of how they shape their role in training camp. I think they’re shaping it out here. You saw plays from everyone – TreVeyon caught a touchdown, Kyle caught a deep ball. Chism has had about 50 catches I feel like in OTAs. Those guys are coming to work and showing up.”
Considering Maye wasn’t asked about Chism, his words speak volumes. The Eastern Washington product quickly developed into the Patriots top undrafted rookie this offseason.
Through four open practices, Chism leads all Patriots pass catchers with 15 receptions. He had two catches on Monday.
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