New England Patriots select Kayshon Boutte in sixth round of 2023 NFL Draft
The New England Patriots added a fresh face to their wide receiver room on Saturday selecting former LSU wide receiver Kayshon Boutte with the No. 187 overall pick in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Boutte chose to stay home out of high school, choosing to sign with LSU after playing his high school football at Westgate in New Iberia, Louisiana. He was a five-star prospect ranked the No. 1 player in the state and the No. 4 wide receiver in the country according to On3’s Industry Rankings, and made an immediate impact when he arrived at the bayou.
He was a Freshman All-SEC selection and Freshman All-America selection in 2020 for leading the Tigers with 735 receiving yards, 45 receptions, and five touchdowns. Boutte set the SEC record with 308 receiving yards on 14 receptions in a win against Ole Miss in the season finale, and would only continue to build on that moving forward.
Boutte played in six games in 2021 after an ankle injury ended his season. In those six games he still managed to record 38 receptions for 509 yards and a career high nine touchdown catches. Last season he ended the year with 48 catches, 538 yards, and just two touchdowns, but has still shown impressive playmaking ability in the SEC over the span of his three years in Baton Rouge.
What NFL draft analysts are saying about Kayshon Boutte
Kayshon Boutte’s college career is a mixed bag of highs and lows, but what are the NFL scouts saying about him?NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein compares Boutte to former LSU teammate Terrace Marshall, breaking down the pros and cons of the former Tigers playmaker.
“Boutte’s size, speed and flashes over his first two seasons could be enough to override a very uneven 2022. He has inside/outside value and can be just as adept at uncovering underneath as he can at stretching the field. He ran simple routes at LSU but has the athletic ability to expand on that with more attention to detail,” Zierlein said. “The ball skills are a little disappointing, with too many drops showing up on tape. He’s talented with the ball in his hands and has playmaking potential if he reverts to his previous form. Boutte could work his way into an eventual WR2/3 role barring any further issues with his right ankle.”