After being selected in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, New England Patriots wide receiver Kyle Williams showed flashes of explosive big-play ability during his rookie campaign. As a result of his penchant for hauling in long receptions last season, Pro Football Focus has tabbed him as a potential breakout candidate for next year.
While the 23-year-old pass-catcher had some eye-popping performances in his first season of professional football, including a 72 yard touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 10, a 33-yard scoring grab while playing the New York Giants on Monday Night Football in Week 13, and a clutch 37-yard score during the fourth quarter of a Week 16 Sunday Night Football matchup with the Baltimore Ravens, Williams will need to increase the frequency of those highlight-reel plays if he wants to make waves in 2026.
During the regular season, Williams totaled just 10 receptions on 21 targets, but made the most of the grabs he did pull in by taking them for three touchdowns and 209 yards, which averages out to 20.9 yards-per-catch, the fourth-highest mark league-wide among players with at least 10 catches. According to PFF, among the nine Patriots skill position players who saw at least 25 targets between the regular season and playoffs, he ranked first in average depth of target (18.7) and deep-target rate (37.0%).
However, throughout the year, Williams only recorded two multi-catch performances, went without a reception in 11 games, and failed to break off any big plays during the postseason, finishing with two grabs for only 14 yards while being targeted six times.
Can Williams work his way up New England’s depth chart in 2026?
Consistent playing time was hard to come by for Williams, as he was on the field for just 31% of the team’s offensive snaps, while competing with Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, and DeMario Douglas for opportunities. That receiver room could wind up getting even more crowded this offseason, with New England being connected to some big names at the position who could be available, such as A.J. Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles, Alec Pierce of the Indianapolis Colts, and George Pickens of the Dallas Cowboys, which would further limit the number of reps Williams will see next year.
Once New England’s top kick returner, running back Antonio Gibson, was lost for the season in Week 5 with a torn ACL, Williams, along with fellow wide receiver Efton Chism III and running backs D'Ernest Johnson and TreVeyon Henderson, got extended looks at returning kickoffs to fill the void. Of that group, Williams had the second-most return attempts (11), was the leader in yards per return (26.4), and recorded the longest single return (36 yards) during the regular season.
If the Patriots do add another veteran player to their receiving corps in the offseason, the speed and quickness Williams used to take the top off opposing defenses at times last year may first need to be showcased while bringing back kickoffs. Just as a number of former well-known New England wideouts have done before him like Julian Edelman, Wes Welker, and Danny Amendola, making plays on special teams could open the door for Williams to see more action with the offensive unit, and perhaps realize those lofty expectations set for him by PFF in 2026.