Who Should I Start? Xavier Smith or Efton Chism III

Saturday, August 16, 11:52 PM

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Xavier Smith caught all four of his targets for 48 receiving yards during Saturday's preseason victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. He also rushed for five yards. Smith has been quite productive this summer. He paced the team with 55 receiving yards last week, and he now has a total of eight touches and 108 scrimmage yards through two preseason contests. NFL opportunities have been few and far between for the 27-year-old Florida A&M product, but he did total six receiving yards, 36 rushing yards, and a pair of first downs in 2024. Los Angeles' first four wide receiver spots are essentially locked up, which means they only have two or three spots to divide over seven remaining receivers (Smith, Tru Edwards, Mario Williams, Konata Mumpfield, Drake Stoops, Britain Covey, and Brennan Presley).

Saturday, August 16, 6:52 PM

New England Patriots wide receiver Efton Chism III caught all six of his targets for 71 yards and a touchdown during Saturday's preseason win over the Minnesota Vikings. Chism is an undrafted free agent who is competing for a spot on New England's 53-man roster. All of his catches Saturday came in the first half, making his performance even more remarkable. The rookie didn't play in the second half of the game, most likely due to his strong first half. The Patriots' TV broadcast speculated that Chism made the team with his big showing, and they also noted that he was receiving some attention from a trainer, which will be a storyline to follow going forward. Head coach Mike Vrabel and vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf both prioritized speaking favorably about Chism during their respective television interviews, which is another good sign as he competes for a roster spot. It's also worth noting that Chism attended Eastern Washington, which is the same school where Cooper Kupp played. Chism broke many of Kupp's records with the Eagles program, and now he looks to make an impact at the NFL level.