Efton Chism III looked like a player who’s earned a roster spot.
After an impressive preseason debut, the undrafted rookie receiver impressed again on Saturday in the Patriots’ preseason win over the Minnesota Vikings.
Despite only playing one quarter, Chism caught six passes on six targets for 71 yards and a touchdown. His performance impressed the Patriots de facto general manager, Eliot Wolf.
“From Day 1, it’s just been consistency. He’s really been a hard worker,” Wolf told WBZ at halftime. “He’s put in the time. He’s in there every day with wide receiver Todd Downing at like 5 o’clock in the morning. The fruits of his labor are paying off here. On that drive, he had three third-down conversions. The sure willpower of breaking tackles and got into the end zone there. We’re excited about him.”
Most of Chism’s production came on the final drive of the half.
The slot receiver moved the chains twice in two plays – catching an 11-yard gain on third-and-11 and then hauling in a 33-yard pass play from Joshua Dobbs.
In the same drive, he then caught a 7-yard pass on third-and-5, where he bowled over multiple defensive players to pick up the first down.
Chism wasn’t done.
On third-and-9, the rookie hauled in a pass around the 10-yard line. From there, he made five Vikings defensive players miss en route to scoring a 12-yard touchdown at 1:01 of the second quarter.
“He really knows how to set up the defender at the top of the route and work leverage,” Wolf said. “He’s a lot stronger than I think people give him credit for. I think the Vikings are finding that out here.”
Speaking right before the second half, Mike Vrabel agreed.
“I think everybody’s here for a reason,” Vrabel told WBZ when asked about Chism. “He’s certainly made the most of his opportunities. His play strength really shows up.”
Last week, in the Patriots’ preseason win over the Commanders, Chism led the Patriots with six catches for 50 yards. On Saturday, he bettered that performance while only playing in one quarter.
Quarterback Drake Maye is among those impressed with the rookie.
“He just keeps on showing up,” Maye said. “I think that’s the theme for him throughout camp, throughout joint practices, throughout preseason games. He got into the end zone again tonight. He keeps on showing up. He’s blocking in the run game. He knows what to do. he’s staying late with veterans and asking me, ‘Hey, what do you see on this route?’ He wants it. I think that’s the biggest thing he’s showing and it’s paying off for him.”
One of the best stories of the summer in New England, it looks like Chism has cemented a spot on the Patriots’ 53-man roster. Out of all the backup receivers (Kyle Williams, Kendrick Bourne, Javon Baker, and Ja’Lynn Polk), this rookie has stood out the most.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.