“He’s so locked in,” said veteran teammate Kendrick Bourne of Boutte. “He knows the playbook really well. He’s impressive when he’s answering questions in the meeting. We’re always competing, and he’s answering questions fast. When coach asks what do we got on this, he’s answering, he knows everybody’s routes, and that’s just things that he’s built on.”
Seven games into his second season, Boutte’s numbers don’t jump out at you. However, he’s making the most of his opportunities, and his playing time is increasing. The second-year wideout leads all Patriots receivers in snaps since Week 5 (145). Among 117 receivers, Boutte also leads all NFL receivers in expected points added per target (+1.07). He has caught all three deep balls thrown his way and is the Pats best receiver at defeating press coverage.
Boutte has caught five of seven of his targets against press coverage for 101 yards and a touchdown this season. He’s quickly emerging as the Patriots best pure outside receiver, aligning in a wide split on 83.7% of his routes. New England has been searching for a vertical threat on the outside for a while now, and Boutte has made some plays in that role.
“He has a knack for separating in man coverage,” said offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. “Obviously, he can go deep, you saw that in the game the other day, and then his ball skills. He catches the ball very cleanly, you know, can’t remember a drop he’s had in our time together so very good with ball skills and creating separation at the top of the route.”
“His work ethic changed. He started putting the time in, and it’s paid off for him,” Van Pelt continued.
To tell Boutte’s story, we also must go back to his journey at LSU. During his freshman season, Boutte was a Freshman All-SEC selection, leading the Tigers with 735 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Based on his early-career breakout, the Louisiana native was viewed as the next great receiver in…
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