Efton Chism III
Chism is a second-year undrafted slot and possession receiver who has gone from healthy scratch to a rotation player because of injuries ahead of him, and his role is expected to shrink if the Patriots' receivers get healthy.
Role
The Boston Globe's snap-count piece (Oct 13) has him on a career-high 57 snaps, 76 percent of the offense, in the Week 5 win over the Raiders. He caught five of a team-high six targets in that game. Romeo Doubs led all receivers with 62 snaps for the second straight week. Mack Hollins is on injured reserve and will miss at least three more games. A.J. Brown is also on injured reserve, and the Globe says Brown is expected back at some point. I did not find a depth chart or season-long target share, so I am not stating either.
Opportunity is growing and he is producing with it. He made a one-handed game-winning touchdown catch in Week 4 at Buffalo. He then caught five of six targets against the Raiders, and four of those catches converted first downs. Mike Vrabel defended him publicly, saying he practices hard and is well respected. The Globe says his play makes it harder to send him back to the bench once everyone is healthy.
His snaps depend on injuries. The Globe reported that before Hollins's calf injury in Week 4, it looked as though Chism would go back to being a healthy scratch once Brown returned. He is a former undrafted player with few career catches. When Brown and Hollins return, the Patriots would have six healthy receivers and Chism could be the one left out. The Globe describes him as a developing possession receiver, not a proven target earner.
Where analysts split
The open question is what happens to his snaps when Brown and Hollins are healthy. The Globe says his play is complicating that decision. I did not find a named analyst who has projected his role after their return, so I am not describing a camp on either side.
Research confidence: reported. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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