Patriots are facing a slot wide receiver dilemma

The New England Patriots are in a much better spot than last season.

A year ago, it sometimes felt like they didn't have any receivers ready to help Drake Maye succeed.

Now, they've got plenty.

The main dilemma now is where to put them all.

ESPN's Ben Solak summed up the problem nicely in a new article on Wednesday. He focuses a lot on the slot, pointing out that Stefon Diggs, Kyle Williams and DeMario Douglas all like to play there.

Add in the outside potential of Kayshon Boutte, Ja'Lynn Polk and even veteran Kendrick Bourne, and it's a crowded group.

Here's some of Solak's thinking:

Douglas is just OK at slot receiver. Among 27 players who ran at least 60% of their routes from the slot last season, he ranked 17th in yards per route run and 19th in first downs per target. That's not prolific enough to have a stranglehold on that role, and any smart usage of Diggs includes a decent diet of slot routes. There's also the wrinkle of rookie third-round pick Kyle Williams, a 5-foot-11, 190-pound speedster who -- you guessed it -- deserves some snaps in the slot.

Diggs and Williams can play on the outside, and probably should to some degree. How much will be decided by Kayshon Boutte -- who got the lion's share of snaps at X receiver last season but failed to impress (he'll have another shot with a new coaching staff) -- and second-year man Ja'Lynn Polk, who fell out of favor with last year's offense but was a top-40 pick in 2024.

There are hundreds of targets up for grabs in the Patriots offense, no exaggeration. Someone needs to emerge in August if this offense is going to take a step in the right direction.

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Maye looks like a legitimate QB of the present and future. And he has plenty of guys to throw to.

It'll be up to New England to figure out its depth chart in a way that allows everyone to thrive, including their second-year quarterback.

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