Early mornings are paying dividends for Patriots undrafted wide receiver Efton Chism.
Chism was once again a star of the Patriots preseason during Saturday’s [20-12 win](https://www.bostonherald.com/2025/08/16/what-we-learned-best-and-worst-from-patriots-preseason-win-vs-vikings/) over the Vikings, when he caught six passes on six targets for 71 yards and a touchdown all in the second quarter from backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs.
The rookie out of Eastern Washington continued on an offseason tear that started in the spring, when he was a standout during OTAs and minicamp. After a quiet start to training camp, Chism has come on strong during joint practices and preseason games with the Commanders and Vikings.
Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said Chism comes to the facility at 5 a.m. to meet with wide receivers coach Todd Downing. Chism also previously said he spends time with veteran wide receiver Mack Hollins late after practice to continue going through the playbook.
“He just keeps on showing up,” quarterback Drake Maye said Saturday. “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.”
The 5-foot-10, 198-pound wide receiver caught 120 passes for 1,311 yards with 13 touchdowns last season at FCS Eastern Washington before going undrafted. He was a priority UDFA signing by the Patriots with a $25,000 signing bonus and $234,000 in guaranteed money after the 2025 NFL Draft.
They play different roles, but Chism has actually outplayed fellow rookie Kyle Williams, a third-round pick out of Washington State, through the summer.
“It doesn’t matter how you get here, only thing that matters is what you do when you get here,” head coach Mike Vrabel said Saturday. “I think that’s another great example of that. Chiz, when given opportunities, has taken advantage of them. And we talked about his play strength last week, and I would say that that continued to be true this week.”
Chism broke five tackles on a 12-yard touchdown reception from Dobbs in the second quarter. His day also included a 33-yard catch and run down the middle of the field.
The rookie receiver has stood out in 1-on-1 drills against Patriots, Commanders and Vikings defenders. He’s also a favorite target of Patriots quarterbacks during full-team practice drills.
Originally Published: August 16, 2025 at 4:56 PM EDT