FOXBORO — The Patriots’ new offensive staff was not high on Kayshon Boutte when they started working with him during the offseason training program. And it’s a testament to a change in the young wide receiver’s work ethic that he’s now a starting wide receiver in the Patriots’ offense.
Boutte was mentioned by head coach Jerod Mayo as being one of the Patriots’ top three wide receivers earlier this week. The LSU product, who was once a five-star recruit and projected first-round pick, broke out in Sunday’s 41-21 loss to the Texans by catching three passes for 59 yards with a 40-yard deep touchdown from rookie quarterback Drake Maye.
“He’s a guy that — we were not — I wouldn’t say down on, but we didn’t see him as a starter early through camp, and as he continued to work,” offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said Thursday morning. “I think the biggest thing with Boutte was the way he approached practice. He really put his hard hat on and went out and did great work, not just for us, but also for the scout team. His attitude was excellent. He wanted to get on the field. He earned the right to do that. I’m so proud of him for his perseverance. We were on him early, and he responded well, so it’s good to see him having some productivity.”
Boutte earned practice player of the week honors after Week 1 for imitating Bengals wide receiver JaMarr Chase in practice. Wide receiver Fellow wide receiver and 2023 sixth-round pick DeMario Douglas remembers Boutte was “eating” in practice that week.
Boutte was active but didn’t play in Week 1 then was a healthy scratch in Week 2. Since Week 3, he’s been active with an increasing role in the offense.
“He took an energy shift,” wide receiver Kendrick Bourne said Thursday. “He took an attitude shift to where ‘I’m going to be on the field this year. There’s no doubt in my mind that I’m going to make the team.’”
Douglas also has noticed a change in his fellow starter.
“Just to see his work-ethic from last year to this year. And the character that he is, he changed,” Douglas said Wednesday. “Just changing, his work ethic is different know. It shows on the field.”
Boutte said before the season that he still felt limited, at times, by the right ankle injury he suffered as a sophomore at LSU in 2021. That’s no longer the case as he’s become more and more comfortable running the twice-surgically repaired ankle, which required plates and screws to be implanted.
“I think it’s his route-running ability. He has a knack for separating in man coverage,” Van Pelt said when asked what impresses him about Boutte on the field. “I think he’s a good start-and-stop guy, and obviously he can go deep. Saw that in the game the other day. And his ball skills. He catches the ball very clean. I can’t even remember a drop he’s had in our time together. So, very good ball skills and great at separating at the top of his route.”
Van Pelt talked of lessening the load on rookie wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk, who has also emerged as a starter. That should mean a continued increased load for Boutte, Bourne and Douglas. Boutte once looked to be a longshot for a roster spot earlier this offseason after he was arrested on underage gambling charges. The charges were dropped, and Boutte’s improved work ethic has made him a coaches’ favorite.
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