In just a short amount of time, the New England Patriots will begin their first training camp under head coach Mike Vrabel. And, as they have plenty of reason for optimism behind franchise quarterback Drake Maye, the offense is also walking into camp with a bit of a mess on their hands.

Now, this mess very well could be cleared up in a matter of a couple of weeks, but right now, that’s what we’ll call the wide receiver room. It’s a mess.

Despite his recent viral video situation, Stefon Diggs looks like he’ll be on track for Week 1 and, thus, should end up being the no. 1 option (or so we think). But, beyond Diggs, things are a little murky.

Although they’re murky, the Patriots do have plenty of reasons to be optimistic. That’s because they have plenty of options who could potentially break out.

The Patriots’ mess at wide receiver (hopefully) won’t last long into training camp

To begin camp, Vrabel will probably give Mack Hollins the nod to start opposite Diggs with Demario Douglas in the slot. But, how long will that trio keep their jobs?

This depth chart has several young names who could emerge, including 2024 second-round pick Ja’Lynn Polk, 2024 fourth rounder Javon Baker, 2023 sixth-round pick Kayshon Boutte, rookie third rounder Kyle Williams and veteran Kendrick Bourne.

Let’s also not forget this year’s undrafted rookie Efton Chism, who has been turning heads during early offseason work.

See why it’s easy to call this room a mess? Because… it’s a mess.

The hope, though, is that it all gets cleared up during camp. There is bound to be one, if not two, younger guys step up and take over more prominent roles. At this point, draft billing doesn’t matter, and when all is said and done, Vrabel is going to play the best players.

But, who is it going to be? While it looks convoluted right now, the idea is that all of the competition will bring things into focus eventually.

Who are you rooting for to become a factor?