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The New England Patriots have drafted LSU WR Kayshon Boutte with the No. 187 overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Scouting Report
Boutte isn’t the tallest target in the world, standing at just 5-foot-11, but he’s big at 195 pounds. His speed is a massive plus too, he ran a 4.5 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. His time at LSU saw him run a relatively simple route tree, but there’s no reason to believe he doesn’t have the physical tools capable of running more complete routes at the next level.
His biggest attribute is how electric he is with the ball in his hands. He has the ability to make several players miss and turn a short catch into a long gain.
Career statistics
His freshman and sophomore years in Baton Rouge were far more productive than his final season with the Tigers. During his first two seasons he had 83 catches for 1,244 yards and 14 total touchdowns.
His last year in school was a big drop-off, catching just two scores and hauling in 48 passes for just 538 yards.
How can Kayshon Boutte impact the Patriots in 2023?
Boutte will add to the depth chart as a rookie. New England will likely be starting JuJu Smith-Schuster and DeVante Parker with Kendrick Bourne, Tyquan Thornton and Boutte filling out the depth behind them. Boutte could end up as high as WR3 as a rookie, or could fall to the wayside and be the WR5 on the team.