In each of his three weeks with the Patriots so far, star wide receiver Stefon Diggs has seen his involvement in the offense decrease. He had six catches on seven targets in Week 1, and four catches on five targets in Week 2. In Week 3 against the Steelers, Diggs had just three catches on three targets.
The efficiency is there. But the production isn’t. When New England agreed to give three years and $69 million ($26 million guaranteed) to Diggs this offseason, the expectation was that he would produce more than 13 catches and 112 yards in his first three games as the team’s WR1. But he has not quite been the WR1, and he has not established himself as the star presence he was expected to be.
Diggs, though, could be part of a realignment that might help the Patriots reshape some of the struggles they’ve had among their receiver corps–and, in fact, he is already doing so.
Stefon Diggs Getting Increased Workload From Slot
While Diggs has made a name for himself as a wide receiver, and the intention was for him to line up for the Patriots on the outside, he could be the key to fixing the team’s struggles in the slot, where the combo of Pop Douglas, Drake Maye and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels does not seem to be on the same page.
Diggs played the slot frequently in Houston last season, lining up there on 196 snaps while getting 226 snaps on the outside. In Buffalo before that, Diggs played about 70% of his snaps as an outside receiver–716 on the outside, 343 in the slot in 2023; 661 on the outside, 296 in the slot in 2023.
Stefon Diggs snaps by alignment, 2025 Patriots
| Week 1 snaps | Week 2 snaps | Week 3 snaps | Total snaps | |
| Slot | 11 | 15 | 22 | 48 |
| Outside | 29 | 16 | 17 | 62 |
For the Patriots, Diggs was an outside man in Week 1, lining up there 29 times, and lining up in the slot 11 times. He was in the slot 15 times on 31 snaps in Week 2. In Week 3 he took the majority of his snaps in the slot (22), compared with 17 on the outside.
Patriots Playing More 12 Personnel
Douglas, meanwhile, has seen his snap counts drop, from 45 in Week 1, to 15 in Week 2, to 29 in Week 3. The Patriots have been playing more 12-personnel with tight ends Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper on the field, and that’s cut into Douglas’s playing time. But he has notched only five catches on 13 targets, and 13 yards total, when he has been on the field.
As ESPN’s Mike Reiss noted on Twitter/X, the Patriots have options beyond Douglas.
He wrote: “Topical question — Does Douglas’ limited production in slot lead to change? 2 alternative options to consider: Diggs’ veteran savvy/feel (was highly productive in that slot-type role for Texans last year pre-injury) and Chism’s upside.
Patriots Need More From Receivers
Reiss missed the fact that Diggs is already playing in the slot more than on the outside, but it is something the team could turn to more. And yes, undrafted rookie Efton Chism, one of the stars of training camp, has yet to get a chance on the field.
Maybe that’s what changes. Maybe it’s more Diggs in the slot. But the offense needs better production from the wide receivers, who have just 35 of the team’s 77 catches this year–which includes six for Mack Hollins, who’s been more of a tight end hybrid than a receiver this season.
A reconfiguration of the guys who are on hand makes some sense.
Patriots Already Making Significant Change on Stefon Diggs Amid Struggles