LSU’s Pro Day is just five days away and it provides an opportunity for draft prospects to show their skills in front of NFL draft scouts around the league. Tiger wide receiver, Kayshon Boutte, is hoping to bounce back and have a good showing at LSU’s pro day after a lackluster performance at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Boutte had a lot of high expectations entering his junior campaign with the Tigers, but he wasn’t able to live up to the billing. The LSU wide receiver would announce that he would be coming back for his senior season, but he ultimately chose to decide to enter his name into the 2023 NFL Draft. Boutte has to perform well on March 29th if he wants to hear his name within the first two days of the draft.
Kayshon Boutte Struggles at the NFL Scouting Combine:
LSU WR Kayshon Boutte (7) – Michael Woods/AP Photo
The former LSU star wide receiver was hoping to put up some good numbers at the NFL Scouting Combine to be able to improve his draft stock, as we are almost a month away from the NFL Draft. Boutte showed confidence in his ability to perform well on the field during interviews leading up to the event.
That wasn’t the case, as Boutte posted official sprint times of 4.50 and 4.67. His day would continue to not improve as he posted the lowest vertical jump by any skill player (29″) and had the second-lowest broad jump of all of the wide receivers (9’10”). His poor showing at the NFL Scouting Combine leaves NFL scouts puzzled if Boutte is the same receiver we saw in his stellar freshman campaign at LSU.
His struggles at the NFL Scouting Combine now puts pressure on the star wide receiver to perform well at LSU’s Pro Day in order to hear his name early on draft day. He will have an opportunity to re-run the 40-yard dash and be able to put his route-running abilities to the test with all eyes on him.
If he is unable to improve his numbers on March 29th, then there will be cause for concern surrounding Boutte’s name heading into April 27th. There is concern that Boutte’s prolonged injury recovery has slowed down the star wide receiver. LSU’s Pro Day will provide a huge opportunity to redeem himself from a poor performance in Indianapolis.
Boutte’s Shows Flashes at LSU:
LSU WR Kayshon Boutte (7) – Jonathan Mailhes/Crescent City Sports
Boutte stepped onto the scene in Baton Rouge during his freshman season in 2020. During the 2020 season, Boutte led the Tigers in receiving yards (735) and finished second on the squad in receptions (45). He would also finish second on the team with five touchdowns on the year. The New Iberia, Louisiana native would have the best game of his debut season against Ole Miss, where he set the SEC record with 308 receiving yards on 14 receptions and three touchdowns.
The LSU product quickly showed that he was one of the nation’s top wideouts, and he was an outstanding player in every phase of the offense. Boutte would have high expectations heading into his sophomore season and he was able to perform well in the first half of the season. His season would be cut short due to an ankle injury that he suffered against Kentucky. Despite the injury, Boutte still led the Tigers in receiving yards (509) and touchdowns (9).
Heading into the 2022 season, Boutte would earn preseason hype around the country as he was listed as a preseason All-American. It wouldn’t be the season that Boutte had hoped for, as he finished the year with 48 receptions for 538 yards and two touchdowns. The New Iberia native would end his season on a high note against Georgia in the SEC Championship game as he hauled in six receptions for 107 yards and one touchdown.
He ended his career as one of the most dynamic pass catchers in his class with 131 receptions for 1,782 yards and 16 touchdowns. When he is healthy, Boutte can be one of the top wide receivers in the nation and he has shown his big-play ability.
