FOXBOROUGH, Mass – With 29 seconds remaining on the clock, Mac Jones sent a deep throw to New England Patriots receiver Kayshon Boutte along the left sideline on crucial 4th down. 

The rookie receiver snagged the ball as he fell out of bounds and the officials originally ruled it as fair catch. However, after it was reviewed, it was determined that Boutte only got one foot in-bounds and the Patriots were forced to turn it over on downs, handing the Eagles the victory. 

"There's opportunities that come our way that everybody gotta make and I felt like that was my opportunity," Boutte said after the game. "We practice it day in and day out. I was just something that I felt I could have caught."

In the locker room after the game had ended and most of the players were gathering their stuff to leave, Boutte sat in the chair by his locker with his head down and remained in his uniform. 

It was clear that he was taking in the game and what had occurred. 

However, there was one positive that he did take away from that play. 

On such a crucial play, when the Patriots were in desperate need of a first down to keep their hopes of winning alive, they turned to Boutte. 

So when asked about if it is a sign that the coaches have confidence in him during those key situations, Boutte's answer was simple: "Yes."

The Patriots rookie was selected in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. A receiver out of LSU, Boutte had his fair share of ups and downs during his collegiate career which may account for why he fell down so far in the draft. 

In his first season at LSU, Boutte became the team's top receiver after Ja'Marr Chase opted to sit out the 2020 season. With a team-high 735 receiving yards, Boutte earned Freshman All-American and SEC All-Freshman Team honors. In his sophomore season he started in six games, but was forced to miss the rest of the season due to an ankle injury that required two separate surgeries.  

Following his ankle injury, he struggled to get back on track and replicate the production he flashed in his freshman season. His struggles post-injury, coupled with a poor combine performance aided in his slide in the draft from a former consensus first round pick to the sixth round, where the Patriots drafted him 187th overall. 

However, he fought his way through training camp, truly standing out as cutdown day came closer. And he earned a spot on the 53-man roster to start the season. 

So now that the first game is out of the way, Boutte can focus on the remainder of the season, which is a time for him get more acclimated to the speed of the NFL and focus on improving each and every day.  

"It feel good. Finally we can start the season. No more preseason," Boutte said. "Feel good kind of going in every week knowing it's a big game."

Featured Image via Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports