What to make of Kayshon Boutte’s combine performance?

LSU’s Kayshon Boutte saw his stock drop after a rough combine

[autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] was once a surefire first-round pick.

After a disappointing combine performance, uncertainty surrounds his draft stock. Boutte’s 40 times were 4.50 and 4.67, while his other tests were some of the worst in his class.

Keep in mind, Boutte was a track guy in high school with his speed and athleticism being a primary reason for his hype as a recruit.

Boutte burst onto the scene in 2020 by setting the single-game SEC receiving record against Ole Miss. The former five-star then answered high expectations in 2021, scoring nine touchdowns in his first six games.

But an injury cut his season short and circumstances began to shift for the young star.

According to The Athletic’s Brody Miller, Boutte’s ankle didn’t heal properly. He was still in a walking boot due to a second surgery when spring practice rolled around last year.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] offered up a public call-out to get Boutte more engaged throughout his recovery. By all accounts, Boutte’s response throughout the spring was positive, and he entered 2023 as a preseason All-American.

On the field, struggles ensued. Boutte didn’t look as explosive as he had in the past and was in and out of the lineup as injuries lingered.

But in the locker room, according to Kelly, Boutte became one of the teams’ critical voices.

Despite the outside noise and less production, he hung in there and emerged as a leader. So much so that Kelly consistently praised Boutte’s leadership abilities, joking that Boutte could finish his speeches.

The story from the season doesn’t fit the narrative you’d see on Twitter now.

“Boutte doesn’t care.”

That’s the conclusion many are jumping to.

I don’t claim to know the ins and outs of Boutte’s mindset, but neither do the ones behind those tweets. It’s possible that Boutte’s physical abilities, once some of the best in the sport, are now limited by that awry ankle recovery.

Last fall, Boutte became a father — the reason for his absence against New Mexico.

Between that and the injury, Boutte’s had a lot going on the last year. It’s why we can’t sit here and claim to know exactly what happened and why some of the social media chatter is frustrating.

Players struggle to get back to full strength after injuries all the time, especially ones that don’t heal properly. But once Boutte returned in the fall, there was plenty of optimism.

When he impressed in the SEC title against Georgia and shortly after announced his plan to return to LSU, that optimism grew. Boutte looked healthy again.

Remember this play? Boutte made several guys on the sports best defense miss enroute to the end zone. It was the Boutte fans grew familiar with over his first couple of years in Baton Rouge.

Boutte’s stock isn’t going to recover before the draft. The 2022 results, the injury and the combine performance are all taking their toll.

I don’t know where Boutte will get drafted. By this week, there should be a better idea about how NFL teams feel about him.

But right now, Boutte doesn’t look like the player he was in 2021.

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