With a full offseason to integrate with the starting offense, New England Patriots’ wide receiver Kyle Williams has a clear path to continued growth as a sophomore deep threat.
The New England Patriots’ 2025 rookie class provided an immediate infusion of youth and energy on the field for the team as they mounted a run to Super Bowl LX. With significant contributions from high draft picks to undrafted rookie free agents alike, last year’s freshmen now solidify the foundation of the organization for the foreseeable future.
While new additions may steal headlines, internal development is the bedrock of team-building in the NFL — and a player’s sophomore season can foreshadow who they’ll become for the remainder of their time in the league.
Our New England Patriots’ 2026 “Year Two Leap Candidates” series continues today — and we’ll be sticking with the offense — and taking a trip to the boundary — to examine our next emerging contributor.
Year Two Leap Candidate: WR Kyle Williams
Round 3, No. 69 Overall in 2025 NFL Draft
Dec 1, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Kyle Williams (18) catches a pass for a touchdown against New York Giants cornerback Paulson Adebo (21) during the second quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn ImagesKyle Williams may just be the player with the most meat still left on the bone of all our year two leap candidates.
The former Washington State and UNLV wide receiver had a meteoric rise up consensus draft boards during the spring of 2025 with strong showings at the Senior Bowl and NFL Scouting Combine that reaffirmed the breakout season he had with the Cougars in his final collegiate season.
Williams (5’11”, 190 lbs.) impressed with elite speed (4.40 second 40-yard dash) and short area quickness as a vertical threat that showed the versatility to align at multiple different spots in the formation — and was a danger to score from any of them.
New England selected Williams in the third round of last year’s NFL Draft to round out a wide receiver room that looked much different then than it does now. With Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker taking first team reps over the rookie, much of his summer and fall were spent working with the second group and scout team offenses — and that lack of chemistry with the top unit showed during the regular season.
When Williams did see the field in his rookie year, it was largely in relief of Kayshon Boutte or Mack Hollins at the X receiver position. By the season’s end, Williams totaled 353 offensive snaps (32.2% of the team’s total offensive snaps). He aligned as an outside receiver on 170 snaps (89.0%) and played in the slot on just 21 plays (11.0%).
It took Williams until the latter stages of the regular season to develop somewhat reliable chemistry with quarterback Drake Maye, but when the two did connect, fireworks ensued.
The rookie receiver finished the 2025 regular season with 10 receptions on 21 targets (47.6% catch rate), 209 receiving yards (20.9 yards per catch), and three receiving touchdowns — each registering as an explosive play.
His first touchdown reception came in the Patriots’ Week 10 win at Tampa Bay on a crossing route that he took to the house from 72 yards out. Williams clocked in with a top speed of 21.78 miles-per-hour on the play, which ranked as the fastest ballcarrier speed for any rookie in the NFL last season — until he was outdone by TreVeyon Henderson (22.01 mph) later that game on a 55-yard touchdown run.
Williams’ final two touchdowns came on vertical routes: a 33-yard reception up the left side of the field against the New York Giants in Week 13, and a 37-yard score up the right sideline as New England mounted a late comeback to beat the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16.
Even with limited opportunities, Williams showed the athleticism to take the top off the defense out wide, and the tracking and body control to adjust to deep throws and finish plays for big gains. His potential as a perimeter deep threat has already turned some heads, but his profile suggests that there’s more he can bring to the table.
During his final collegiate year at Washington State, Williams broke out with 61 catches on 86 targets, 1,024 receiving yards (17.1 yards per catch), and 13 touchdowns. He was primarily an outside receiver, but took his highest career percentage of reps in the slot (24.6%) and was highly effective when aligned there — racking up 501 yards after the catch and averaging 8.4 yards after the catch per reception.
His agility and change of direction on short routes was a reliable part of the Cougars offense, and once the ball was in Williams’ hands, he quickly transitioned into a runner with solid ballcarrier vision and unmatched breakaway speed at that level of competition.
With a full offseason to integrate with the starting offense in Foxboro, Williams could be due for a bump in snaps — and see more variable alignments when he’s on the field. Paired with A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs, he’ll also likely be the beneficiary of one-on-one matchups when he is on the field — and that can be dangerous for any defensive back.
Looking Ahead
Williams has all the traits to be an elite route-runner and create separation at all three levels of the defense. With upgrades in the wide receiver room ahead of him, it’ll be worth monitoring how much more run he gets with the starters as the summer and fall continue to roll on. His athleticism will make him a difficult matchup one-on-one for any of the league’s third- or fourth-string corners, but he’ll need to continue to show improvement to be granted those looks when real games get underway.
Do you think Williams earns more looks from Drake Maye in the passing game this year, or will he be too far down the depth chart to make significant contributions? Let us know in the comments section below.
Next, we’ll be returning to the defensive side of the ball — and to the trenches — to more closely examine an edge rusher that nobody saw coming in 2025.
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