After Stefon Diggs and DeMario “Pop” Douglas, it’s anyone’s guess how the rest of the New England Patriots’ wide receiver depth chart will stack up when the 2025 season begins. Kayshon Boutte, Kendrick Bourne, Ja’Lynn Polk, Javon Baker, and rookies Kyle Williams and Efton Chism are competing for the remaining roster spots, with Mack Hollins currently on the PUP list.

Through five days of training camp, Boutte appears to be the frontrunner for that No. 3 spot. The third-year wideout has been a favorite of new head coach Mike Vrabel’s, getting plenty of reps with the starters and capitalizing on his opportunities.

NBC Sports Boston’s Patriots insiders Tom E. Curran and Phil Perry have attended all five practices and taken notice of Boutte’s increased workload. After Monday’s practice, they discussed Boutte’s encouraging start to camp during a live episode of the Patriots Talk Podcast.

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“He’s out there with the 1s early on virtually every single practice. He catches what’s thrown to him. He’s a bigger guy,” Curran said of Boutte. “He beat Christian Gonzalez twice in 1-on-1s in the red zone. He’s hard to overlook with the number of reps that he gets.”

Perry believes Boutte’s usage indicates the Patriots’ belief in the LSU product’s ability to be a difference-maker this season.

“They, it seems like, want him to succeed,” Perry said. “He’s getting so much work with Drake Maye. I mean, he’s consistently one of the top receivers out there. When they go 11 personnel — one tight end, one back, three receivers — it is often Stefon Diggs, Pop Douglas, and Kayshon Boutte.

“And so, in a room where it looks like it could be a little bit condensed in terms of what you’re expectations might be after Diggs and Douglas, I think there’s a group of three receivers in Kyle Williams, Kayshon Boutte, and Kendrick Bourne that I’m kind of expecting similar production from, but it feels like the team is expecting Boutte to clearly be the best or the most reliable or the most productive of that trio.”

Phil Perry breaks down a potential Patriots receiver battle on the latest Patriots Talk Podcast

Boutte showed promise last year in his first season with Maye as his QB. The 23-year-old tallied 43 catches for 589 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games.

Also in the episode:

What’s Mike Vrabel looking for at training camp?

Breaking down what we saw from Will Campbell.

Highlights from Drake Maye’s day.

What did we see from the WR group?

Reaction to Christian Gonzalez’s injury.