The Washington Commanders are running out of options when it comes to adding talent to their wide receiver room.
Their play for Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce in free agency didn’t pan out, and the Commanders decided to use the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on defense, taking Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles at No. 7 overall in a draft when a whopping 5 wide receivers went in the 1st round.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton thinks the Commanders could still take a big swing to improve perhaps their most important position group outside of quarterback by trading a 2027 5th-round pick for New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, who was a big part of his team’s run to a Super Bowl appearance following the 2025 season.
“If the Commanders don’t sign hometown favorite Stefon Diggs, they can make a move on the trade market for a No. 2 wide receiver,” Moton wrote. “The Commanders need a big-play perimeter playmaker to complement Terry McLaurin. Boutte has shown the ability to stretch the field, averaging 16.7 yards per catch last season. But the Patriots signed Romeo Doubs and acquired A.J. Brown from the Eagles, which leaves fewer targets to go around for the receiver group. Washington may be able to get Boutte for a fifth-round pick, reuniting him with fellow LSU product, (quarterback) Jayden Daniels.”
Gambling Issues May Have Impacted Draft Stock
Boutte, 6-foot and 197 pounds, set the SEC single-game record for receiving yards with 14 receptions for 308 yards and 3 touchdowns as a freshman at LSU in 2020.
In 3 seasons at LSU, Boutte had 131 receptions for 1,781 yards and 16 touchdowns, but was wildly inconsistent — something that may have been attributed to an admitted gambling addiction while he was in college.
Drafted by the Patriots in the 6th round (No. 187 overall) in the 2023 NFL draft, a warrant was issued for Boutte’s arrest in January 2024 that alleged he placed almost 9,000 bets while in college, including at least 6 times on LSU games he played in.
Kayshon Boutte Addressed Gambling Addiction
All of the charges against Boutte were dropped in July 2024, and he addressed the issues in an article titled “How The Hell Did I Get Here?” on The Players’ Tribune in 2026.
“I fell in love with gambling,” Boutte wrote. ” … I was 20. I was at LSU. Full ride. Whole future ahead of me. And I didn’t care at all … I’d wake up early in the morning, and the first thing I’d do was bet. I’d stay up late and bet. All day. All night. I had insomnia, so if I woke up in the middle of the night, phone next to the bed, I’d bet … That’s how I damn near ruined my life.”
If a deal does go through, Boutte would be an incredible value to Commanders in 2026, when he’ll be in the final season of his 4-year, $4.02 million rookie contract.
It would also help the Commanders avoid using a 1st-round pick in the 2027 NFL draft on a wide receiver if Boutte and either Jaylin Lane or rookie Antonio Williams become legitimate contributors.
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