The New England Patriots have finally drafted a receiver who looks like they’re going to have a real impact. The Patriots have struggled to find quality receivers in the last few years via the NFL Draft. It looks like their third-round steal in Kyle Williams might finally buck that trend.
According to a story in MassLive.com, Williams is already turning heads, specifically, getting the attention of All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez. According to the Patriots insider Mark Daniels, Williams had a contested catch over a rookie and then matched up against Gonzalez, who ended up picking the ball off.
But that’s just part of the story. Williams was playing with Drake Maye and the first-team offense in both of those situations. That’s telling that a third-round pick is getting first-team reps and getting people’s attention. It’s one thing to catch the quarterback’s attention, it’s another to get respect from a veteran, All-Pro cornerback.
Kyle Williams getting flowers from Christian Gonzalez is the ultimate flex for the third-round rookie
Williams is already building chemistry with Drake Maye and that’s a massive plus for the New England Patriots, as they’ve been searching for stability in their receiver room. They went and overpaid for Stefon Diggs, but his career is closer to being over. Finding a gem in Williams might just work.
Gonzalez already noticing his talent should build even more confidence between Maye and Williams when it comes to having someone to go to. Especially when you take into account that it's been one of the biggest problems for the Patriots.
They added Diggs because they needed a true No. 1 option. And now Diggs can elevate this offense while also mentoring Williams. But it’s still early and he has a lot of progress to make. He’s just a rookie, and on top of that, he hasn’t played an official NFL snap yet.
Per NFL.com’s draft profile on Williams, he was projected to be an average starter. As of now, it looks like he’ll surpass those expectations, though he has a lot of time to improve on where he’s at now. While at Washington State last season, he finished with just under 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns.
He’s used to having a high usage rate and he could very well have that in New England. If he does, it’s the best thing for Maye and this offense. And it’s something at least Gonzalez noticed well before anyone else.