New England Patriots wide receivers coach Todd Downing was giddy about Kyle Williams. And if he was asked about him in the pre-draft process, he wouldn’t have been able to bottle his excitement and would have given away the Patriots' strategy. Fortunately, he was asked about Travis Hunter and he was able to stow away his secret weapon.
Speaking with Mark Daniels of MassLive, Downing expressed that his and the Patriots' pre-draft meeting with Williams immediately won him and the coaching staff over. However, the WR coach hoped he didn't have to blow up the team's spot when he was being asked about prospects at the position group. The Hunter question gave him an out, and the Patriots' plan was set into motion.
When the third round rolled about, the Patriots got their guy and Williams is quickly looking like a steal for New England. But don’t get overhyped, it’s still June during voluntary workouts, so there’s still a long way for him to get to not just earning a roster spot, but making an impact. Nonetheless, Williams has been the player the Patriots need for quite a few reasons.
The Patriots’ most glaring weakness on offense was their lack of weapons in their skill positions. So Mike Vrabel and his staff went to work this offseason. Their big free agent addition was Stefon Diggs, but the draft was really going to determine if the Patriots could find a prospect with a lot of potential.
Kyle Williams hype could be the start of a new trend in New England talent evaluation
The Patriots will know if they struck on Williams won’t just hinge on the impact he has, but his longevity. New England has whiffed on receivers in the draft for several years now. They haven’t been able to identify that marquee player that will immediately impact this offense in a way that hasn’t been done in the post-Tom Brady era.
What makes the Williams hype so intriguing is that there’s real hype around him. And it’s not fan-driven; it’s the coaching staff. If the coaching staff is seeing things in a third-round pick that shows they made the right decision, it could buck this trend of the Patriots failing to identify good receiver talent in the draft.
Kyle Williams OTA hype train isn't everything for the Patriots offense
Through rookie camp and OTAs, Williams has garnered a lot of attention not just from the coaching staff, but also from his defensive teammates. Making that kind of impact in June is good, but just the start. New England has been starving for an offensive weapon they can one, build around and, two, make the focal point of the offense.
Bringing in Diggs means even more now because he can be a great asset to Williams as he transitions into his NFL career and lean on Diggs’ veteran leadership. Diggs is a talented receiver as well, giving Williams one more reason to compete with him.
If Williams has a standout rookie season, it won’t just mean the Patriots finally have a respectable receiver room. It will mean they’ve finally figured out how to properly evaluate receivers in the draft and it could finally trigger a new era for the New England.