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Nov 11, 2026 12:15 PM
From undrafted walk-on to full-time starter in less than two seasons, Efton Chism III is becoming one of the New England Patriots’ most dependable offensive contributors.
The New England Patriots (5-4) have been desperately searching for answers at wide receiver amidst the tumultuous injury misfortune they’ve endured at the position throughout the 2026 regular season.
With each passing week, it’s becoming more evident that there is already a versatile solution in-house — filling a wide array of needs from the boundary, to the slot, and even as an in-line blocker on the line of scrimmage. The remedy for New England’s wide receiver woes has come from the most unlikely of sources; a 2025 undrafted free agent who’s had to wait patiently for his role to expand, but has made the most of every opportunity he’s earned.
Efton Chism III arrived in the NFL unheralded, but has quickly made a name for himself in Foxboro.
The former Eastern Washington Eagles’ wide receiver totaled 346 receptions, 3,852 receiving yards, and 37 touchdowns in 53 collegiate contests, but his small stature (5’10”, 193-pounds) and an underwhelming 40-yard dash time (4.71 seconds) at his Pro Day shied organizations away from the productive receiver in the 2025 NFL Draft.
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But Chism’s game isn’t built on long-speed, it’s based around elite short-area quickness — a trait that was evident in his 4.06-second 20-yard shuttle time and 6.77-second three-cone drill, which would have ranked second and third at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine.
As a Patriot, Chism has shown off those skills as a reliable underneath target who can find the soft spots in zone coverage, generate separation in man coverage, and has added much more than expected as a blocker at the line of scrimmage.
Chism’s transition from college to the pros wasn’t seamless; in eight games as a rookie, he made one start and caught all three of his targets with 75 yards receiving and one touchdown, working behind Stefon Diggs and DeMario Douglas as the third slot receiver on the team.
But even buried lower on the depth chart, New England made a point to keep him around the building through two cutdown days. And in 2026, it’s been apparent why.
In eight games of his sophomore campaign (was a healthy inactive in Week 1), Chism has worked his way into the lineup in numerous different ways — and at a high frequency. Through Week 9, Chism played 48% of the total offensive snaps for the Patriots — ranking second on the team behind only DeMario Douglas (59%, per PFF) — and has taken snaps out wide (173 snaps), in the slot (75), and as an in-line blocker/pseudo tight end (23) on the regular.
An uptick in production has followed. Chism has caught 20 (second among wide receivers on the team) of his 24 targets with 200 receiving yards, and two touchdowns, and has excelled against man coverage this season. Per PFF, Chism’s 88.0 receiving grade versus man coverage ranks sixth among all wide receivers in the NFL, and his 3.48 yards per route run ranks seventh.
That was on display against the Green Bay Packers (6-3) last Sunday. While he tied for the team-lead in receptions (five) and recorded 49 receiving yards, two of Chism’s most notable impact plays came when he was aligned as a fullback and as a tight end.
On New England’s first drive of the second quarter, Chism aligned in the backfield as a fullback in an offset-I Formation and was sent in motion to the left by Drake Maye pre-snap. On a toss to Rhamondre Stevenson, he became the lead blocker on the play and sealed cornerback Brandon Cisse on the edge to open the alley for his running back. Stevenson gained 11 yards and a first down on the play.
Later in the second quarter, Chism aligned as an in-line tight end, flanking the left hip of Will Campbell on a 1st & Goal from the eight-yard line. Off the snap, he fainted a block on safety Javon Bullard as Maye executed a play-action fake, then released into the flat for a sliding score.
That was Chism’s second trip to the end zone this season, with the other being the game-winning touchdown reception in the Patriots’ Week 4 win over the Buffalo Bills (7-1) at Highmark Stadium. On that play, Chism was aligned out-wide and beat cornerback Davison Igbinosun on a vertical route versus man coverage for a leaping, one-handed score to put New England on top late in the fourth quarter.
From his contributions in the backfield, in-line, and out-wide, to his value as a run-blocker, his developing chemistry with Maye on play extensions, and on trick-play passes, Chism has done it all for the Patriots in 2026.
Less than two years after entering the NFL undrafted, he’s become the most versatile receiver on New England’s roster, and with continued success in a multitude of alignments, his role will only expand further with each passing week. Regardless of the health of the players ahead of him on the depth chart, Chism has a clearly defined and well-established place in the offense moving forward.
How do you think Chism has performed with an expanded role in the Patriots’ offense? Drop your thoughts in the comments below and join the conversation on Patriots Roundtable.
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