Patriots wide receiver Efton Chism III scores on a 12-yard pass play from Joshua Dobbs in the second quarter on Saturday.
Patriots wide receiver Efton Chism III scores on a 12-yard pass play from Joshua Dobbs in the second quarter on Saturday.Abbie Parr/Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS — When speaking to undrafted rookie Efton Chism III in the visitors’ locker room at U.S. Bank Stadium, you can’t help but get interrupted by his fellow wide receivers.
“Efton for President,” Javon Baker shouted.
“You’re talking to the GOAT,” quipped DeMario Douglas.
Chism has taken the Patriots by storm these past couple of weeks, showing out in practice and in two preseason games. With his parents in the crowd for Saturday’s 20-12 win against Minnesota, Chism caught six passes for a team-high 71 yards, including the longest reception of the game (33 yards).
On New England’s 13-play, 93-yard scoring drive in the second quarter, Chism accounted for 63 yards. He made two third-down receptions, including a touchdown in which he should have been tackled at the 7-yard line but fought for extra yardage to cross the goal line.
“Sheer willpower,” executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said during a halftime interview with WBZ. “We’re excited about him.”
“I pride myself on not letting one guy tackle me,” Chism said after the game. “There’s always more to give out there, no matter what’s going on.”
The recent performances are certainly strengthening Chism’s case for a spot on the 53-man roster. The Patriots already have five receivers expected to make the team — Stefon Diggs, Douglas, Mack Hollins, Kayshon Boutte, and Kyle Williams — but could still make room for one or two more.
If Chism can stay on this upward trajectory, the Patriots should feel comfortable keeping him around. He seems to haul in nearly everything that comes his way, demonstrating impressive strength at the catch point. He is always pushing for more once the ball is in his hands. He plays with the level of effort and finish that coach Mike Vrabel asks of his team.
“He just keeps on showing up,” quarterback Drake Maye said Saturday. “I think that’s the theme for him, whether that’s throughout camp, throughout joint practices, throughout the preseason games. He got into the end zone again tonight. He just keeps on showing up.”
Plus, Chism’s competition hasn’t made much of a strong push lately.
Despite his highlight reel-worthy plays during practice, 2024 fourth-round pick Javon Baker has yet to show up in a game. After going catch-less during the preseason opener, Baker didn’t register a reception until midway through the fourth quarter on Saturday. Kendrick Bourne and 2024 second-round pick Ja’Lynn Polk, meanwhile, are sidelined with injuries.
There’s an opening at the bottom of the wide receiver depth chart — and Chism is taking full advantage. The past two weeks are the culmination of all the hard work he’s put in since signing with the Patriots at the beginning of May.
The 23-year-old Chism, who grew up in Washington and spent his college career at Eastern Washington, shined during the voluntary portion of the offseason this spring. But he had a quiet start to training camp. As he gradually became more comfortable with the offense and playbook, the results translated to the field.
“It’s new routines, new people, new schedules, and football’s your job, right?” said wide receivers coach Todd Downing. “You kind of navigate that transition. Now, they kind of know the verbiage, they understand what to do in the huddle and key phrases they might be listening for, and that helps them go play faster. I think that’s a natural progression.”
According to Wolf, Chism meets with Downing daily at 5 a.m. He also runs through the playbook with Hollins on a nightly basis and studies with flashcards on his own time. One side of the card has a play; the other has all the details Chism should know. There’s a reason why Downing says his work ethic is second to none.
“He’s blocking in the run game,” Maye said. “He knows what to do. He’s staying late with veterans. He’s asking me, ‘Hey, what do you think about this route?’ He wants it. I think that’s the biggest thing he’s shown. It’s paying off for him.”
Echoed Wolf, “The fruits of his labor have paid off here.”
Chism said he’s watched film of former Patriots slot receiver Danny Amendola, who started his NFL career as an undrafted receiver and then blossomed while working with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
There are certainly comparisons to be made between Chism and the prototypical slot in New England’s system (e.g. Amendola, Julian Edelman, Wes Welker). But he isn’t looking too far ahead, focused more on what he can do each day to improve.
“Every day there’s new opportunities, there’s new goals I set for myself,” Chism said. “I’m super blessed and thankful that every day I come into the office that this is my job. That’s something a lot of people maybe take for granted, but I definitely don’t.”
After the Patriots return home from Minneapolis, the team will practice Monday and Tuesday before traveling to New Jersey for their preseason finale against the Giants on Thursday. The team will then have two more practices before the league-mandated cutdown day on Aug. 26.
Chism has taken the majority of his reps with the second team, catching the bulk of his passes from backup quarterback Josh Dobbs. Perhaps he’ll now earn some more snaps with Maye and the first team.
If not, though, it seems likely he’ll still be able to build off of yet another strong showing.
“Efton is a great example of a guy that — he isn’t promised any opportunities or a certain amount of reps, but, man, when he gets in there, he’s going to take advantage of them,” Downing said. “As a coach, you just love to see that.”
Nicole Yang can be reached at nicole.yang@globe.com.Follow her @nicolecyang.