Patriots Rookie WR Already Turning Heads

The New England Patriots have added several potential difference makers to their offense this offseason. For starters, they signed wide receiver Stefon Diggs to give Drake Maye a proven All-Pro target to rely on and be a safety blanket for the emerging star quarterback. In addition to that, the Patriots drafted Washington State wide receiver Kyle Williams in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Williams was a standout with the Cougars, catching 70 passes for 1,198 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2024. He had 131 combined catches and 20 touchdowns over the last two seasons at Washington State, and according to Mark Daniels of MassLive, Williams is already impressing at OTAs.

“In the Patriots’ final 11-on-11 series, Williams was on the field with Maye, again," Daniels writes. "The young quarterback didn’t shy away from throwing to the rookie. This time, Maye took a deep shot down the left sideline. Williams blew by a Patriots cornerback and caught a tough, contested catch with rookie safety Craig Woodson in tight coverage. Williams finished the play by getting both feet in bounds near the sideline. Players applauded the rookie – and it was a moment that’ll only build more confidence for Maye.”

This is music to the ears of Patriots fans, who would love nothing more than to see a promising rookie take big first steps in Year One as a pass-catcher in the offense, but would also love for it to result in a playoff berth from New England - a team who hasn't played postseason football since 2021. With Diggs being the likely No. 1 in the offense and Demario Douglas also being a strong member of the rotation, Williams won't necessarily be pressured to be a star right away, but there are certainly signs that he could be.