The 2025 Patriots’ preseason is in the books. Camp stats are relevant, but how much so is open to interpretation. One that gets attention is who caught how many passes thrown by whom. If you’re catching passes from the top quarterback, Drake Maye, the indication is you may do so during the season.

Conversely, if a player starts out on the bottom rung on the wide receiver ladder, he’ll likely be toiling with the second and third string QBs in the preseason. Those reps may have less relevance than playing catch with Drake Maye, but fortunately, there are still opportunities to show what you can do.

If you excel and catch everything thrown your way by the backup QBs, you just might make a case that you’ll be even better when the top guy is throwing them your way. In one case, this preseason, that’s exactly what happened. An undrafted free agent (UDFA) receiver earned himself a spot on the roster, though he didn’t log a single catch from Maye in the preseason.

Preseason catch stats are nice, but it’s in the season when they count

Preseason statistics are fine and they have some relevance, but in the final analysis, do they actually convey a proper picture of who’ll do what when they play in earnest beginning in September? The answer is probably, but they don’t tell the whole story.

These stats are a decent indication of the receivers who’ll get targets when Drake Maye slings the rock around Gillette Stadium against the Raiders on September 7. Every player on Daniels’ list will be on the field and get reps when the real games begin in a couple of weeks.

But there’s also one who doesn’t appear on that list at all who might surpass all of them in catches if he gets the targets.

Efton Chism III didn’t get a catch from Drake Maye in pre-season, but he will now

Conspicuously absent from Mark Daniels’ list is Efton Chism III, the undrafted free agent who signed a guaranteed contract after the draft and then proceeded to justify every dollar spent and more during all the camps. The Former Eastern Washington receiver continued doing what he did for the Eagles in the Patriots’ training camps; he caught everything thrown his way and made things happen afterward.

Chism is a Cinderella story who should make someone in the front office or scouting staff proud and rewarded with some bonus money. Chism wasn’t regarded highly enough by anyone in the NFL, including the Patriots, to warrant even a late draft pick. Yet, he showed he deserved to be drafted after he signed an unusual UDFA contract with $259,000 in total guaranteed money.

Just as Maye didn’t get any first-team reps in 2024, Chism was also left out somewhat in the preseason. It didn’t matter; he still shone as bright as anyone else on the receiving corps. If he’s given playing time by coaches Mike Vrabel and Josh McDaniels, expect major contributions from Chism. If he starts in the slot, he may just lead the team in 2025 receptions.

The Patriots ‘ receiving room is now down to a manageable six players. The two best from 2024, Douglas and Boutte are back, along with four new pairs of hands. The output can’t help but be better this season. Added to the revamped and improved offensive line, expect Maye and his receiving corps to put up a lot more points and wins in 2025. And Chism should be a big part of the story.