The Patriots took a late-round pick with massive upside in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Among the New England Patriots' 12 2023 NFL Draft picks, only one was a five-star recruit out of high school.
That designation goes to sixth-round pick Kayshon Boutte. The former LSU wide receiver, selected 187th overall by New England, lived up to the hype early in his college career with a 14-catch, 308-yard, three-touchdown performance in the final game of his freshman season against Ole Miss.
The NFL tweeted out his biggest plays for that game Friday morning.
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Boutte was targeted 21 times in that game. He had 153 yards after the catch, averaging 10.9 yards after reception, forced seven missed tackles and picked up 11 first downs. He had five catches of 20-plus yards.
Among all LSU receivers in history, Boutte was the fastest to 100 catches, but his career and draft stock started to derail after an ankle injury midway through his sophomore season. Once a projected top-10 draft pick, Boutte dropped to the sixth round due to the injury, a poor showing at the NFL Scouting Combine and some off-field concerns.
Boutte had 83 catches for 1,244 yards with 14 touchdowns in his first 16 games at LSU. He caught just 48 passes for 538 yards with two touchdowns as a junior before declaring for the draft.
The selection comes with moderate risk for the Patriots but could pay off with a high reward. New England waited until the sixth round to take a wide receiver, but Boutte at least provides some elite upside at No. 187 overall. He agreed to terms on a four-year contract this week. The Patriots also drafted Liberty wide receiver Demario Douglas.
Featured image via Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports