Weeks of speculation finally came to an end on Monday: the New England Patriots have acquired wide receiver A.J. Brown in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. Brown doesn’t come cheap, costing the team a 2028 first-round draft pick plus a 2027 fifth-rounder.
Even though he is getting up there in age, the soon-to-be 29-year-old has the talent to transform the Patriots’ passing game. At the very least, he should instantly make an impact as a starter-level receiver.
We already looked into what the trade
means for the team as a whole, and gave our grades on it. Now, let’s dig a bit deeper and reassemble the Patriots’ wide receiver group with Brown in the fold.
(Please note that the positions presented here are approximations based on the information we have available about each player. Realistically, no single player only lines up in one spot; instead, the way offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels typically employs his receivers all of them will be moved around quite a bit.)
Patriots X-receiver chart
A.J. Brown (11): Brown is a proven perimeter receiver capable of lining up in the X-position and taking on opposing No.1 cornerbacks. Even at this stage in his career, he still has the speed, catch radius, football IQ, route-running prowess, and physicality to become a three-down player right out of the gate, and can be seen as the Patriots’ first pure WR1-caliber wideout since Josh Gordon’s brief stint with the organization in 2018 and 2019. A top-tier wide receiver in the NFL, he instantly becomes a premier weapon for quarterback Drake Maye.
Kayshon Boutte (9): Boutte was the Patriots’ featured X-receiver and primary field-stretcher in 2025, and he did a mighty fine job: playing 18 games, he caught 42 passes for 719 receiving yards — a strong 17.1 yards per catch — as well as seven touchdowns. Despite his production and showing improvement all three seasons since joining the team as a sixth-round selection in the 2023 draft, however, his future with the team is unclear: he has been absent from OTAs and his name has come up in trade speculation each of the last two offseasons.
Kyle Dixon (83): Dixon has the size and athleticism of an NFL-level perimeter receiver, and posted some impressive numbers during his college career at Culver-Stockton. That said, he is facing a serious uptick in competition after joining the Patriots as a rookie free agent earlier this spring. He looks like a prime practice squad candidate, with a chance for a bigger role should Kayshon Boutte be traded.
Patriots Z-receiver depth chart
Mack Hollins (13): Hollins is not operating in the same spheres as A.J. Brown, but he was a reliable receiver for the Patriots in their first season together. Playing 17 games with 15 starts, he hauled in 52 passes for 679 yards and a trio of scores, showing some good chemistry with Drake Maye, leadership in a young room, and excellent blocking skills. The 32-year-old is not a long-term option, but he nonetheless should be able to contribute in a positive way again in 2026.
Kyle Williams (19): The Patriots’ third-round pick last year, Williams spent most of his rookie season as a backup X-receiver behind Kayshon Boutte. While that meant some solid opportunities — he saw action in all 21 games and played roughly one third of snaps — his production was lacking: despite being targeted 27 times, he finished with only 12 receptions. He took them for 223 receiving and an 18.6-yard average as well as three touchdowns, but still looked miscast. With Brown in the mix, maybe a move to the Z-position can help unlock his potential.
Efton Chism III (86): More Julian Edelman than Danny Amendola in terms of player type, Chism had some solid moments as an undrafted rookie in 2025. That said, he spent most of his first NFL season as an emergency option on offense and never really emerged as a return man either. With more depth at wide receiver and Kyle Williams’ expected development (and possible role change), he will have to take a step up to keep his roster spot.
Jimmy Kibble (19): Coming off the best season of his college career at Georgetown, Kibble went unselected in this year’s draft. His odds of making the Patriots’ roster look the part, but he does have the size and baseline-quality athleticism to compete for practice reps and a spot on the scout team.
Nick DeGennaro (23): DeGennaro showed impressive speed and quickness during the pre-draft process and also has plenty of experience after lining up for three different schools during his college career. He is still facing an uphill battle to make the roster given the depth higher up on the roster, but he has practice squad qualities.
Patriots slot receiver depth chart
Romeo Doubs (87): Doubs played mostly on the outside during his time in Green Bay, but given his skillset and the overall composition of the Patriots’ wide receiver group after the A.J. Brown trade might be better suited to line up elsewhere. We project him to see plenty of reps inside, where he can use his route running and steady hands to become a go-to receiver for Drake Maye. In effect, Doubs might take over the role held by Stefon Diggs in 2027 as an inside-out weapon capable of lining up all over the formation and getting open quickly.
DeMario Douglas (3): Despite showing flashes in each of his first three seasons as a Patriot, Douglas has yet to develop beyond role-player status. In 2025, the team used him in that capacity: he played just 27% of snaps, but was still able to catch 39 passes for 531 yards and four touchdowns from his spot in the slot. It seems unlikely his role will grow significantly given the other changes in the room this offseason, but Douglas nonetheless has been a reliable player whenever called upon.
Jeremiah Webb (29): Webb had some encouraging moments during last year’s preseason and developed from UDFA afterthought to practice squad player. He did not take the next step as a rookie, but was still retained by the Patriots as a developmental slot option. However, he needs to show some serious growth to also make a name for himself in a reshaped room.
Cameron Dorner (88): Dorner played college football at Shepard and North Texas, and posted some solid numbers along the way. However, like the other undrafted rookies on the Patriots’ current roster, he is facing a significant uptick in competition and is considered a long shot to ultimately make anything more than the practice squad.
The Patriots once again rebuilt their wide receiving corps around third-year quarterback Drake Maye. Among the weapons available at the position now, A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs are penciled in as starters, with Mack Hollins and Kyle Williams also expected to be a prominent part of the mix. Whether the same will be true for the likes of Kayshon Boutte and DeMario Douglas remains to be seen.
All in all, however, this is the deepest wide receiver group the team has had available since Maye was drafted in 2024. The Patriots are setting their young passer up for success.
