Kyle Williams looks to shatter the Patriots' WR draft curse
Outside of New England's 2023 draft class, which featured Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte, there hasn't been a Patriots wide receiver to be drafted by the team and tally 500 or more yards in a season since Julian Edelman back in 2009.
The lack of production hasn't come without consistent attempts to find talent, with the organization selecting a wideout in each of the last five drafts.
Williams is hoping to prove he is an outlier in comparison to previous selections, quickly making a name for himself through the first week of training camp.
Making flashy plays is impressive in its own right, but what has been more promising to the organization has been the rookie's work ethic and willingness to grow.
As the lone rookie pass-catcher, Williams is surrounded by veterans with years of experience at the NFL level. None of the veterans has been more productive than Stefon Diggs, who is learning the ins and outs of Josh McDaniels' offense alongside the young rookie.
Williams has been vocal about how Diggs has been his favorite wide receiver to watch since the 31-year-old was in college. Now the pair are playing together, both working to build a rapport with Maye, helping each other along the way.
The opportunity is there for Williams to find significant playing time in his first season, with Diggs returning from his torn ACL in 2024, and some question marks throughout the rest of the wide receiver room.
In his final year of college at Washington State, Williams proved he can be the number one target for an offense, totaling 1,198 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Names like N'Keal Harry, Ja'Lynn Polk and Tyquan Thornton will keep Patriots fans somewhat skeptical until Williams proves he can consistently produce at the highest level, but the rookie seems to have cast a new glimmer of hope over the 2025 season in New England.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
15 minutes ago
- USA Today
Patriots reportedly make move on vet WR who missed multiple practices
The New England Patriots are reportedly pulling wide receiver Mack Hollins off the physically unable to perform list on Thursday, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. That means the veteran wideout is set to make his debut at training camp with the team. Hollins signed with the Patriots as part of their free agent splash back in March. He's a big-bodied receiving target who can serve as a downfield threat and extra playmaker in the red zone. There's also his ability to excel in the grunt work as an extra blocker on the field. During his final appearance with the Buffalo Bills, he racked up three receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown in the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Overall, Hollins proved to be a good contributor with 31 receptions for 378 yards and five touchdowns. The Patriots are hopeful that he can serve as a solid veteran option further down the depth chart. His best season came under Josh McDaniels with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022, when he hauled in 57 receptions for 690 yards and four touchdowns. With McDaniels returning as the offensive coordinator, the duo will have an opportunity to find that same magic in New England. Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
USA Today
15 minutes ago
- USA Today
Caleb Williams has best practice so far in Chicago Bears camp
As Caleb Williams gets more and more confident in the Chicago Bears' new offense, his young weapons are getting healthier. Colston Loveland is back making an impact. Luther Burden is getting accustomed to the offense. Caleb has all his offensive weapons in the building and they are helping him light it up in camp. It was reported that Caleb Williams, after struggling mightily in the first few training camp practices, followed a great Monday practice with his best practice in camp on Tuesday. Alyssa Barbieri gave her takeaways from training camp practice and Caleb's stellar performance in the latest Bears Wire piece. "Technically, this was the same takeaway from Monday. But it's once again true as quarterback Caleb Williams had another impressive practice with the pads on. According to Greg Braggs, "You can see how much he's working on the play action game and getting his head turned around to get his eyes where they need to be." Williams "wasn't perfect but you can see clear improvement." Williams nearly connected on a deep touchdown to wide receiver DJ Moore, but cornerback Kyler Gordon was called for defensive pass interference. Williams also continues to build his bond with receiver Rome Odunze and rookie tight end Colston Loveland. Before Tuesday's practice, head coach Ben Johnson talked about Williams' progress to this point, and he raved about the work the second-year quarterback is putting in -- and they're seeing the dividends on the field." Caleb Williams has all the weapons he needs to be successful this season, and he is connecting with all of them in practice with everyone healthy. It is really encouraging to see these players improve every single day starting with Caleb Williams. Ben Johnson knows exactly how to cultivate talent. He did it consecutive years in his tenure in Detroit. The Bears have the talent to be special offensively, and right now they are showing the beginning stages of an offense that can score a ton of points. Things are starting to look really exciting for Caleb Williams and the Bears' offense.
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Patriots activate Mack Hollins from physically unable to perform list
Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins is cleared to practice. Hollins is being activated off the physically unable to perform list, according to NFL Network. The Patriots have not disclosed the nature of the injury that put Hollins on PUP, but he can now fully participate in training camp. Hollins signed a two-year contract with the Patriots in March after playing all 17 games for the Bills last year and catching 31 passes for 378 yards and five touchdowns. He has previously played for the Falcons, Raiders, Dolphins and Eagles.
