The New England Patriots needed help at the wide receiver position heading into the 2025-26 season.
New England had two receivers last season who had more than 500+ receiving yards, with DeMario Douglas leading the wide receivers with 621 receiving yards and Kayshon Boutte following with 589.
The Patriots used the 2025 offseason to address their issues at WR by signing Stefon Diggs. New England believed they still weren’t adding to the position and drafted Kyle Williams out of Washington State.
USA Today’s Jordy McElroy believes the rookie receiver will surprise in his first season in Foxborough.
“Where are the offensive weapons in New England? That has been the lingering question since Tom Brady was still under center for the Patriots. The wait for wide receiver help might finally come to an end with the arrival of third-round draft pick Kyle Williams,” Jordy McElroy wrote for USA Today. “No, he wasn’t the center of attention during the draft, but maybe he should have been considering he was the best pure separator in the 2025 class. Williams can get open consistently and blow past defenders with the ball in his hands.”
“He has all of the makings of an elite offensive playmaker, and he’ll get his NFL start playing across from a four-time Pro Bowler in Stefon Diggs. Grab your popcorn—for real this time.”
Kyle Williams Impressing At Practice
It will take a bit of climbing before Williams gets guaranteed playing time in New England with signings such as Diggs now on the roster and battling incumbent players for snaps.
NBC Sports Boston Phil Perry shared his thoughts on Kyle Williams’ first rookie minicamp and highlighted him as having the best catch of the day.
“He made a couple of really nice catches in this practice,” Perry said, via NBC Sports Boston. “…I thought it was a good practice for Kyle Williams, and we’ll see moving forward just how much chemistry he’s able to develop with a guy like Drake Maye.”
“Kyle Williams, to me, looks like an X receiver. That’s where he was in college… It will be interesting to see moving forward where they end up moving him around.”
If the former Wazzu receiver can carry his momentum into training camp, he should be able to get snaps on the field.
Mentality Entering His Rookie Season
Kyle Williams was the only Washington State player selected in the 2025 NFL Draft and is eager to show that he can compete in the league.
The third-round selection spoke to reporters about his mentality to not “drop the money.” Here’s what he said.
“My mindset is don’t drop the money. Every time the ball is there, it’s a bag of money. We can’t let that hit the floor, because [then] that’s somebody else’s. Just being able to make those plays, just showing that I can compete against those top-tier guys in the league,” Williams said, via WEEI.
Williams said that new teammate Stefon Diggs was a player he used to watch when he was younger. Now, he has the opportunity to learn from the four-time Pro-Bowler.
