Young Patriots receiver reminds everyone he was once a projected first rounder

FOXBOROUGH – Some may have forgotten, but not Kayshon Boutte .

Three years ago, many predicted that the wide receiver would follow in the footsteps of some of the greatest pass catchers to come out of LSU. A 5-star recruit, Boutte set an SEC single-game record with 14 catches, 308 yards, and three touchdowns in his final game as a true freshman.

Two years later, in 2022, Pro Football Focus projected Boutte would be a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The site also had him ranked above future first-rounders like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jordan Addison, and Quentin Johnston.

For Boutte, a lot changed over the next year. Multiple surgeries on the same ankle hurt his productivity, testing numbers at the NFL Combine, and ultimately, his draft stock. In 2023, he was drafted in the sixt