Julian Edelman Offers Advice to Patriots Rookie Wideout

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Griffin Goodwyn | Last updated Jul 24, 2025 11:15 AM ET

Ever since he retired from professional football following the 2020 season, Julian Edelman has played a pivotal role in developing the next crop of New England Patriots wide receivers.

Second-year wideout Demario Douglas commented earlier this offseason on how Edelman has served as a mentor for him since he joined the organization in 2023 – as well as the fact that he watches Edelman's film the most of any wide receiver that has played in current Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' system.

Add rookie Kyle Williams to the list of players who have now worked under Edelman's tutelage.

An episode of the "Forged in Foxborough" docuseries posted on the Patriots' YouTube page on July 18 featured a brief interaction between Edelman and Williams following a session at the team's indoor practice facility. The purpose of the conversation was for Edelman to instill into Williams the importance of preparation and hard work.

"Whenever I got to a point where I needed to prepare, or I had a mistake, I just always leaned on preparation," Edelman said in the clip. "If I dropped a ball, I’d go catch 500 balls before or after practice until I didn’t drop a ball.”

Williams, whom the Patriots took with a third-round pick (No. 69 overall) in the 2025 NFL Draft, will be looking to make an immediate impact on the team's new-look offense in his first season in the league.

Prior to joining the professional ranks, Williams played five seasons of college football at UNLV (2020-2022) and Washington State (2023-2024). He caught 248 passes for 3,608 yards and 29 touchdowns across 50 collegiate appearances – 25 each with the Rebels and Cougars.

Williams landed a spot on Phil Steele's All-American Fourth Team following his senior campaign, during which he logged 1,198 yards and a school-record 14 touchdowns on 70 receptions. He was also named the Mountain West Conference's Freshman of the Year in 2020.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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