Were you surprised to see Kayshon Boutte look like the Patriots’ best offensive player during their season opener against the Raiders? Boutte acknowledged some fans might’ve been taken aback by his Week 1 production.
He wasn’t surprised, however.
“I think people failed to realize that at one point in time I was a first-round pick,” Boutte said Monday morning after he caught six passes for 103 yards in a 20-13 loss at Gillette Stadium.
It’s been a while since that point in time, of course, but Boutte’s reflection is accurate. A five-star recruit coming out of high school, Boutte was projected to be a first-rounder in the 2023 NFL Draft. Pro Football Focus published a story one month after the 2022 NFL Draft and ranked Boutte ahead of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Quentin Johnston and Jordan Addison in its “Early 2023 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Rankings.” Those three were selected within the top 23 picks less than a year later.
Unfortunately for Boutte, a pair of ankle surgeries hindered his production at LSU after he caught 45 balls for 735 yards and five touchdowns as a true freshman. Boutte slid further down draft boards after an underwhelming performance at the NFL Scouting Combine — his athleticism scored ranked 48th among wideouts. The Patriots drafted him in the sixth round after 21 receivers were selected before him.
Boutte didn’t do much of anything for the Patriots during his first 17 games played with the franchise. But his performance Sunday marked the second 100-yard game of his career. He has 95 receiving yards or more in three of his last four NFL games (Weeks 16, 18 in 2024).
He’s always had the skillset, Boutte said.
“I think a lot people doubt that I can do what I do,” Boutte said. “I mean, I always knew what I can do. But I think for some people it is a surprise. But, to me, it’s always what I used to do.”
Boutte currently ranks seventh in the NFL in receiving yards after Week 1 — yes, it’s a one-week sample size. Seeing Boutte ahead of LSU brethren like Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. remains is eye-catching, though.
Patriots insider Tom E. Curran is closer to being aligned with Boutte than the general public. Curran has been a firm believer in Boutte dating back to last season and continuing throughout training camp.
Boutte’s body control and physical playstyle are a few areas where he’s impressed.
“I think that Kayshon Boutte was good, as we’ve discussed,” Curran said on the Patriots Talk Podcast after the loss to the Raiders. “He’s good. He’s a 1B. On this team, for a wide receiver room that doesn’t really have a WR1, and you presume your 1A is (Stefon) Diggs, he’s a 1B. Kayshon Boutte is. On a good team? No, he probably would be a WR3 on a really good team. He could be a WR2 on a decent team. And on the Patriots, he’s a 1B.”
Boutte’s self-confidence isn’t going to take a hit. Stacking performances like Week 1, and what he’s done in three of his last four games, will make others feel the same way.
