Drake Maye had an interesting season last year with the New England Patriots, to say the least. He was asked to become the starter in week 6 after Jacoby Brissett started the season 1-4 in a lackluster showing. While Drake showed some high-end, flashy plays, the team would finish the season with a record of 4-13.
One of the biggest reasons for this team’s lack of success was the wide receiver corps. Before the season even started, the group didn’t inspire a lot of confidence. Yet, somehow, it found a way to underperform with not a single wide receiver reaching 650 yards. This clear lack of talent doesn’t exactly set Drake Maye up for success.
With a new regime coming in following the hiring of Mike Vrabel as head coach, a clear vision was implemented: surround Drake Maye with talent. There was a heavy emphasis on building the offensive line, which makes a ton of sense considering the New England Patriots had arguably the worst offensive line in the league last season.
With the added presence of veteran tackle Morgan Moses, center Garrett Bradbury, and rookie tackle Will Campbell, drafted out of LSU with the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Drake Maye is sure to have much better pass protection.
The Patriots organization also recognized the need for better pass catchers and addressed this need with the signing of superstar receiver Stefon Diggs and the selection of wide receiver Kyle Williams with the 69th pick in the third round.
The spotlight of the 2025 NFL Draft in terms of wide receivers was on Travis Hunter, Tetairoa McMillan, Emeka Egbuka and Matthew Golden. However, Kyle Williams was a name that was somewhat under the radar, but he is easily just as talented as the rest of his class.
Who is Kyle Williams?
Kyle Williams was a breakout player during the 2024 college football season. He spent three years at UNLV before transferring to Washington State in 2023. While he showed some signs of promise, it wasn’t until his final season in college that we finally saw what type of threat he could be in the league.
In 2024, Kyle Williams was among the best wide receivers in all of college football. He caught 70 passes for 1,196 yards and 14 touchdowns, which ranked fifth and third among all FBS players, respectively. What’s even more impressive is that his hands were incredibly safe, catching 69.3% of his targets, which is better than other noteworthy college receivers such as Tetairoa McMillan and Jayden Higgins.
What should we expect from him?
Kyle Williams is an incredible athlete, running a 4.40-second 40-yard dash, which is in the 85th percentile for wide receivers. He’s an extremely fluid mover, with smooth route-running ability and one of the most explosive release packages in his entire draft class.
According to recent reports, his skill set is already translating well to practice. It seems that he’s routinely getting open, consistently making highlight plays, and putting cornerbacks in a blender.
Kyle Williams wiggles free in the red zone.
— Ian Steele (@RealianSteele6) July 30, 2025
Drake Maye throws the rookie wide receiver a touchdown pass.@ABC6 #NEPats #PatsCamp pic.twitter.com/gIevMEkyzA
New England Patriots fans can rejoice as the rookie wide receiver and Drake Maye are already off to an electric start. Following a 35-yard touchdown in practice, Kyle had this to say:
“We had the look we wanted. Drake trusted me enough to put the ball in the air and for me to make something shake. I feel like chemistry and connection is steadily growing and getting better. Who knows what it will look like at the end of training camp? So we’ll just wait and see.”
He's already consistently creating separation like he did in college, and building chemistry with his quarterback is a key factor in his overall success. He could easily win a starting role with his talent alone, as the competition isn’t exactly stacked, only needing to surpass the likes of Mack Hollins, Ja’Lynn Polk, and Kayshonn Boutte. Perhaps Kyle is the player who finally breaks the Patriots’ wide receiver draft curse. It’ll only be a matter of time before we see it play out, as the New England Patriots have their first preseason game on Aug. 8 against the Washington Commanders.