He was heralded as an undrafted find in 2025 and expected to join the pantheon of New England Patriots wide receivers who thrived from the slot in offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ schemes, but Efton Chism III needs to win another niche role to secure a roster spot for the 2026 NFL season.
That’s according to Chad Graff of The Athletic. He believes the Pats will need to cast a wide net to replace Antonio Gibson on kick returns.
Graff was surprised the Patriots opted against selecting “a successful kick returner” in the 2026 NFL draft. Especially since they “never found a great answer for that increasingly important job after Antonio Gibson tore his ACL last season, and the team ranked 22nd in kick return average after Gibson’s injury.”
It’s possible dynamic running back TreVeyeon Henderson steps into the breech, “but if he takes on an increased role on offense, they probably wouldn’t want to subject him to more hits as a kick returner.”
Graff notes “That likely leaves second-year receivers Kyle Williams and Efton Chism as the top options. If Chism can win that battle, it would go a long way toward securing his place on the 53-man roster.”
Williams has the field-stretching speed to be a game-breaker in football’s third phase, but like Henderson, last year’s third-round pick could see his workload increase on offense.
It’s a different story for Chism, who is beginning to look like the odd man out in a wide receiver corps undergoing no-small amount of change.
Efton Chism III Faces Uphill Battle for Wide Receiver Reps
He was supposed to follow in the footsteps of Wes Welker and Julian Edelman, but Chism instead struggled to get onto the field. He made a mere three catches from as many targets during the regular season, before grabbing just one pass during New England’s playoff run to Super Bowl LX.
Forcing his way into the wideout rotation this year could be just as difficult for Chism. Particularly when Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel is planning something new for established slot receiver DeMario Douglas.
The latter can play a key role in support of 2026 free-agency add Romeo Doubs, while the Pats are still expected to trade for All-Pro A.J. Brown.
Then there’s Williams, who Graff views as an ideal candidate to “develop into” the No. 3 receiver role, despite struggling as a rookie. Williams is a legitimate deep threat who’s been challenged by de factor general manager Eliot Wolf to do more in his second season.
If Williams can’t answer the call, perhaps an intriguing undrafted rookie can make a greater impression than Chism managed a year ago. It’s one more receiver in the path of Chism and a roster spot.
That leaves the former Eastern Washington star who outperformed 2021 triple-crown winner and Super Bowl LVI MVP Cooper Kupp at the collegiate level, needing to help the Patriots in different ways.
Patriots Need a Consistent Returner
Becoming a reliable return man is the best way for Chism to add to his skill-set and prove his value to the Pats. There’s an obvious place for help in this area, even though Henderson and Williams offer big-play potential.
Their flair for the spectacular will help McDaniels’ offense more, but Chism’s potential returning kicks can’t be ignored. Not after he averaged a solid 23.9 yards on a team-high 16 runbacks last season, per Pro Football Reference.
Chism possesses the natural elusiveness and low center of gravity to thrive working his way through traffic and squirming free to help the Pats win the vital field-position battle.
Building on this niche skill will keep him on the roster.
Efton Chism III Urged to Win Niche Role to Secure Patriots Future