The New England Patriots started training camp on July 25th. They are finally back in the building with the idea of building towards another successful campaign.
This offseason, the team made several additions in the receiver room, which was headlined by the acquisitions of A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs. While that is great news for the sake of the offense, certain players are going to slip down the totem pole, and it appears that Kyle Williams has his work cut out for him.
Patriots reporter Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald dropped some nuggets from the third day of practice and revealed that Williams currently looks to be WR7. He's behind Brown, Doubs, Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, and Efton Chism.
While it's very early on, this isn't a positive sign for Williams.
Patriots coaches may not be fully sold on Kyle Williams just yet
Callahan added that Williams did take reps with Drake Maye during walkthroughs, but when practice rolled around, he wasn't among the top six receivers to play with the starters. That's a telling sign and indicates that Williams has work to do.
He was a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft, but even last year, with less competition in the receiver room, Williams wasn't able to consistently crack the rotation. He appeared in all 17 games but made zero starts. He played in 31% of the offensive snaps, logging 10 catches (21 targets) for 209 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
While he showed he can be a deep threat, the consistency wasn't there. He was a rookie, so there was definitely a learning curve, but he didn't do enough to build overwhelming confidence from the staff. Of course, that can easily change. Boutte is on the trade block, and we are at the beginning of camp, so things can change on the fly.
Yet, to start things off, the team seems more comfortable with other guys on the roster. To climb the depth chart, Williams will need to make plays when he's given the chance. Until then, it could be a tough battle for him.
Training camp and preseason will be huge for the sophomore receiver. The Patriots took him in the third round for a reason, but now it's up to him to prove them right. On the third day of camp, the initial report wasn't the best. It doesn't mean things won't flip, though. Vrabel said that Williams, along with Elijah Ponder, Jared Wilson, and Will Campbell, all got offseason awards, per Taylor Kyles of PatriotsCLNS.
How he responds will be interesting to watch, as Williams must bring his best foot forward during camp. He's caught the attention of people inside the building during the offseason, but now it's time to turn it up a notch.
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