Can Kyle Williams break the Patriots' streak of WR draft busts?

New York Times

4 hours ago

Editor's note: This is the fourth story in a 10-part series looking at the most intriguing New England Patriots players ahead of training camp.
Previously: Efton Chism, TreVeyon Henderson, Keion White
The Patriots' offseason search for a true No. 1 wide receiver didn't go very well. They weren't interested in Tee Higgins. They tried hard to land Chris Godwin in free agency, but he wanted to stay in Tampa. The trade market wasn't fruitful. The draft class was underwhelming.
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So the Pats instead turned to Stefon Diggs in free agency, hopeful the 31-year-old can get healthy and play like he did a couple of years ago.
Then they nabbed a wide receiver in the third round of the draft, a late bloomer who's a bit undersized but has enough speed and quickness off the line of scrimmage that they hope he'll be a big-play jolt on the outside.
That's what they want from Kyle Williams, anyway. But will they get it? The organization's recent track record with drafted wide receivers — dating back to Bill Belichick — warrants plenty of cynicism.
But can a new regime finally turn things around? Can Williams be a difference-maker in Year 1? And how can he help second-year quarterback Drake Maye?
Drake Maye was HYPED when QB Josh Dobbs connected with WR Kyle Williams on a bomb down the field 🎯
(🎥 @PATRIOTSdotCOM) pic.twitter.com/77G6xPh4cv
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) June 19, 2025
Williams traveled a winding road to become an NFL wide receiver. For his first three seasons of high school football in Southern California, he was adamant that he was a quarterback. He was a lefty who completed 58 percent of his passes for 2,114 yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions as a junior.
But he was talked into changing positions before his senior year, hopeful that it would result in a college scholarship offer. He played wide receiver and defensive back that season and was impressive enough to become a three-star prospect. He chose UNLV and spent three seasons there before transferring to Washington State in 2023.
He blossomed in Pullman. As a fifth-year senior, he caught 70 passes for 1,198 yards and 14 touchdowns in 13 games. His impressive speed (4.4-second 40) helped him become a third-round pick.
Rookie receivers tend to take to Josh McDaniels' offense a bit slowly. It's complex and includes choice routes based on the coverage they're getting, an aspect few have experienced in college.
Given that, it's no surprise that Williams had some impressive moments in spring practices … along with a few disappointing ones. His best moment was a deep touchdown pass from Drake Maye, exactly the kind of play the Pats envisioned when they picked him. But the next day, Williams was lined up against Christian Gonzalez for another vertical route. This time, he got boxed out by the corner, who came down with an interception on a deep ball.
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Those plays sum up what was a bit of a mixed bag this spring for Williams.
It's all about the deep ball for Williams. The Patriots hope they can develop him in other areas, too, to make him a well-rounded wide receiver. But right now, the hope is he can bring a vertical element to the passing game that the Pats haven't had in years.
Last season, the Patriots had the NFL's second-lowest percentage of explosive plays (defined as 12-plus-yard gains), ahead of only the Cleveland Browns.
So why target Williams in the draft? He had an astounding 58 percent success rate on throws of 20 yards or more last season, and posted 17.1 yards per reception. A Patriots roster filled with players who can excel underneath needed a deep threat like Williams to keep opposing defenses honest.
One of the most important things when it comes to roster building is making sure your group of wide receivers brings different traits. In recent years, the Patriots have loaded up on big slot-type guys. Williams brings something different and is a home run threat who can beat man coverage.
That's important because of how defenses play the Patriots. Last season, the Patriots faced a higher rate of man coverage (30 percent of passing snaps) and single-high safeties (61 percent of the time) than league average, per Tru Media, because teams knew that the Pats couldn't throw it deep and didn't have receivers who could separate against man coverage.
Those are the two areas in which Williams should excel. He's quick off the line of scrimmage, which gives him a big advantage against man coverage. And the deep ball is his biggest strength.
To put it bluntly, the Patriots have a terrible history of drafting and developing receivers. Yes, this is a new regime, but it's hard to have much faith that a wide receiver drafted early by the Patriots is going to be good.
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Plus, McDaniels' offense can be difficult to learn for rookies, and Williams is already behind Diggs, Mack Hollins and Demario Douglas on the depth chart. Depending on how McDaniels wants to deploy his receiver group, Williams could be the No. 4 or 5 receiver, which isn't likely to result in many targets.
It'll be interesting to see how the Patriots work with Williams on intermediate routes. We know how good he is off the line of scrimmage, which should help on third-and-short if Williams can quickly get open. And we know how good he is at using his speed to win deep.
But his routes need more polish. Too often in college, he was able to get away with his speed and shiftiness off the line. He can lean on those traits in the NFL, too, but to become a more reliable No. 2 or 3 receiver in the NFL, he'll have to improve his routes and learn to get open in the intermediate area.