Has the New England Patriots found their next Julian Edelman?
In the team’s impressive preseason debut against the Washington Commanders, undrafted rookie free agent Efton Chism III was one of many young players who impressed in the 48-18 victory.
The undrafted rookie out of Eastern Washington, who has been standing out throughout training camp, extended his impressive play into the preseason showcasing his shiftiness and playmaking ability.
With 6 catches for 50 yards and a touchdown, Chism III made the most of his opportunity and earned some praise from Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.
“I think his play strength stood out to me from the sideline,” Vrabel said via the team’s official website. “I think it's the way he blocks, his ability to catch the ball in traffic. The ball was basically tipped or bobbled coming out of Ben's hand. Kind of ran through a tackle and ran through contact. We threw him a screen. So those are all positive things. I think his play strength to me is what stood out.”
.@EftonChism making it work on 4th down 💸@Bwool8 | #NEPats
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) August 9, 2025
📺: WBZ pic.twitter.com/2MlgeEMO5v
Chism III making the most of his opportunity
To make the 53-man roster Chism III is going to have to do other things to prove he deserves a spot on the team. He showcased that on Friday night by playing on special teams and just doing whatever the team asks him to do. That’s how a couple of former Patriots legends earned their roles.
When looking at the way Chism III plays, it must be hard for Patriots fans not to see glimpses of Troy Brown and Edelman in his game. Just playing hard, playing loose and executing are keys to making any NFL roster.
"I think at the end of the day, it's football,” Chism said of his opportunity. “We've been playing our whole lives, and for me, I kind of just think about it like I'm back at my high school or back at my college, and go out there and just play, let loose, be free. Because once you start overthinking, overanalyzing stuff, it kind of can catch up to you. So, just kind of being loose, being free and just going out and playing."
It will be interesting to see how the Patriots find a way to keep this undrafted gem.
Travis Hunter shows just a little bit of his two-way impact
From undrafted gem to the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Another must-see player making his NFL preseason debut over the weekend was Jacksonville Jaguars two-way talent Travis Hunter.
The former Colorado Buffaloes star and 2024 Heisman Trophy winner didn’t do much in his preseason debut. He did haul in 2 catches for 9 yards on offense and didn’t stick out much with limited play defensively, but Jaguars head coach Liam Coen is encouraged about Hunter's potential on both sides of the ball.
“I think he made a couple good catches on some option routes,” Coen said following the game, via NFL.com. “He missed one tackle defensively that I noticed, like that was the only thing that I kind of noticed. In terms of his overall play, I’ll have to watch the tape on how he operated defensively a little bit more, but I thought offensively he made the right decisions on those option routes. He made a good catch and almost broke out of that one.”
It sounds like at this point in the preseason, Hunter will be featured more offensively as the majority of his 18 total snaps did come on the offensive side of the ball. All that could mean is that the Jaguars feel learning the routes is his area of focus. Talent wise he can be a game-changer on both sides of the ball. He has yet to shine, but it’s just one game in the preseason, his big moments will come.