He faces an uphill battle to make the final 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent, but rookie wide receiver Efton Chism III is making friends in the right places for the New England Patriots.
Namely, Chism is winning over members of the quarterback room. Especially veteran backup Joshua Dobbs, who is full of praise for the former Eastern Washington star.
Chism has been impressing as a “cheat code in practice” for 30-year-old Dobbs at training camp, according to the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed. Dobbs has been so impressed he credited Chism with being “a QB-friendly target, like in the red zone or on third down. He gets a lot of good matchups, and he wins those matchups, which is most important. So we saw the plays that he made in the game, but as you guys have probably seen, like he’s done it practice, starting back in the spring, now throughout camp, and it’s good to see it in game situations.”
Chism’s also “playing the mental game before practice and before the game, so that he’s prepared when he steps on the field. So, he deserves all the love that he’s getting, but I think he understands that it’s just one day at a time, take advantage of each opportunity, and each day is a new day to go out and dominate and make plays on the field,” per Kyed.
It’s high praise for a natural scheme fit who has a chance to play his way into a key spot in the rotation. Chism is already winning that battle after the 23-year-old and another highlight-worthy wideout were promoted to working with starters at camp.
Efton Chism on Upward Surge for Patriots
Chism being on an upward trajectory makes sense when he’s merited lofty comparisons from the moment he signed. The hype stemmed from Chism breaking the college record set by a future Triple-Crown winner in the NFL.
It wasn’t long before Chism earned a comparison closer to home for the Patriots. One based on his similarity to a three-time Super Bowl winner.
Justifying these kind of comparisons is a tall order, but Chism has looked increasingly at ease in the offense called by returning coordinator Josh McDaniels. Plays like this catch and run for a touchdown during the 48-18 win over the Washington Commanders from preseason Week 1, offer proof of Chism’s comfort level.
What Chism is doing, aside from earning praise from a key teammate, is add to his case to get a place on the final roster. The case is strengthened by the multiple ways the Pats are starting to use him.
Patriots Expanding Role for Rookie WR
Chism’s greater familiarity with the X’s and O’s is being rewarded by a bigger role. His expanded use was revealed by receivers coach Todd Downing, who explained, Chism “certainly has showed some versatility, we’ve been able to move him around from the slot to some strong side receiver stuff,” per NBCS Boston’s Sean T. McGuire.
Being able to take on different receiving roles in an offense notoriously complex is a good sign for Chism. His core skill-set as an inside receiver is heavily comparable to incumbent DeMario Douglas, so anything Chism can do to show his value outside the slot, will only further endear him to McDaniels and every passer on the depth chart.
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