Patriots 2026 WR Preview: It All Comes Down To A.J. Brown
The hype around Stefon Diggs last year at this time was all fun and games. But a Chrysler 300 looks like a Phantom until a Phantom shows up.
The A.J. Brown trade has completely changed the outlook of this offense, one that now can be put among some of the NFL's best units. Bringing in a premier pass catcher as the WR1 will do wonders for Drake Maye in his third season, and give the Patriots their best pure talent at the position since maybe when Randy Moss was traded in 2007.
A lot to unpack at the position now, including what the addition of Brown means for some of the incumbents on the roster. We'll get into that and more here.
As we head through the late spring/early summer practice portion of the year, we'll be taking a look at each of the position groups on the Patriots ahead of the 2026 training camp slate. The wide receivers have taken center stage this past week, so we're going to dive into them today.
Current Depth Chart:
- AJ Brown (#1) - Eighth Season, First With Patriots
- Romeo Doubs (#87) - Fifth Season, First With Patriots
- Kayshon Boutte (#9) - Fourth Season, Fourth With Patriots
- Mack Hollins (#13) - Tenth Season, Second With Patriots
- Kyle Williams (#18) - Second Season, Second With Patriots
- DeMario Douglas (#3) - Fourth Season, Fourth With Patriots
- Efton Chism III (#86) - Second Season, Second With Patriots
- Jeremiah Webb (#29) - Second Season, Second With Patriots
- Kyle Dixon (#83) - First Season, First With Patriots
- Nick DeGennaro (#23) - First Season, First With Patriots
- Cameron Dorner (#88) - First Season, First With Patriots
- Jimmy Kibble (#19) - First Season, First With Patriots
Brown immediately jumps to the top of the list, and for good reason. The "X" wideout will be able to win plenty of matchups on the outside, and take pressure off of Doubs as he enters his first season in New England. There's plenty of guys returning from last season expected to take some larger roles in the passing attack, including Kyle Williams and DeMario Douglas. The large clump of rookies at the bottom -- all of them undrafted -- will have a tough time cracking the roster in a crowded room right now.
2025 Season In Review:
When it comes to how the Patriots' two big acqusitions performed with their old teams, you can't really argue about the production on the field. Brown, who some people argued had a relatively bad season, ended the year with more than 1,000+ yards and seven touchdowns. With Green Bay, Doubs became Jordan Love's go-to target, especially in the postseason.
That's what the Patriots like out of both of these guys, who now open up the field for each other. That's some of the issues that New England faced last season. They had Diggs and Boutte -- who had a career season -- but there wasn't one player running routes that felt like a pure game changer. Both Brown and Doubs could equally become that.
As for Williams, getting bigger was a major part of his offseason. The second-year speedster added some muscle since the season ended, something that should be able to help his game. He was used a bit like a one-trick pony -- a sideline runner who could take the top off the defense. The team wanted him to take a step in 2026, and part of that comes with adding more routes to the tree that he didn't really get to show off last year.
Strengths:
The first thing you notice is the size of these wide receivers. Brown is 6-foot-1, Doubs is 6-foot-2 and Hollins is 6-foot-4. Those three guys all have the capabilties of getting jump balls and winning at the point of attack. It's a perfect match for a quarterback like Maye, who can make almost any throw on the football field.
That size came in handle for Boutte, who despite being just 5-foot-11, played a lot bigger than his frame may tell you. The Patriots' primary go-ball runner, Boutte was among the league's elite at finding creases on the sideline and becoming a true deep ball threat. It helps when you have a quarterback of Maye's caliber, though Boutte's skillset may become a bit redundant with the addition of Brown.
There's also speed that comes with this group. Williams, of course, is the quickest of the bunch. But Douglas and Chism -- the two guys vying for the one slot receiver role -- aren't slow by any means. The ability to get out of their breaks and make defenders miss has been evident during the first few OTA practices, and ideally will be something that continues to improve once the pads come on.
Weaknesses:
Injuries could derail this group in a hurry. Brown has dealt with plenty of knee issues, something he downplayed during his first press conference in New England, but it's been there for years. Hollins suffered a ruptured spleen last year that he eventually played through in Super Bowl LX, catching a touchdown. Doubs suffered an injury to his chest and wrist a year ago.
There's tread on some of the receiver's tires, but it shouldn't become too drastic. The one thing that people may worry about is the decline in production because of it. Just because the stats may tell one story for Brown in Philadelphia doesn't mean he didn't have a weaker year in 2025. He's set to turn 29 at the end of the month, and isn't getting any younger.
Should the Patriots also feel a bit concerned about the potential of less versatility when it comes to formations? Brown will be the primary "X" receiver, while Doubs can handle the "Z." How comfortable does the staff feel about mixing and matching those guys on the field, especially when Brown doesn't typically stray away from his normal spot on the field? It's something to monitor over the next few weeks leading into training camp.
2026 Outlook:
There's a true argument to be made that this year's group is one of the best across the entire NFL. Sure, plenty of that is based on expectations for the newcomers, but the resumes speak for themselves. The Patriots went out, spent big on two players that could create mismatches for defenses, and continued to add pieces for their young quarterback.
Who gets the bottom spots on the roster, especially when it comes down to the slot job, is still up for grabs. For now, we can say with confidence that the Patriots' deep game will be a major part in how they move down the field.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as Patriots 2026 WR Preview: It All Comes Down To A.J. Brown.
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This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 4:00 AM.