The Patriots, under Mike Vrabel, had numerous offseason goals to achieve in 2025. Vrabel had to rebuild the offensive line almost from scratch. He also needed to upgrade the receiving corps, which was among the worst in the NFL. Both were challenges.
Using free agency and the draft, Vrabel has solidified both key offensive positions, adding several newcomers to each. Veteran offensive linemen Morgan Moses and Garrett Bradbury, along with rookies Will Campbell, Jared Wilson, and Marcus Bryant, are upgrades over the 2024 versions.
In the receiver room, Vrabel added two top free agent additions, former Pro-Bowler Stefon Diggs, and big target and big-play receiver Mack Hollins, both of whom played for the Division rival Buffalo Bills in the past (Hollins in 2024). Another new addition, third-round draft pick Kyle Williams from Washington State, is now garnering attention from a good source.
Kyle Williams tabbed to make NFL All-Rookie team
Rookie wideout Kyle Williams has garnered attention both before and after the draft. One recent accolade came from Gennaro Filice of NFL Sports, and it's a good one. He predicts Williams to be a member of the NFL's 2025 All-Rookie Offensive team.
"At 5-10 5/8 and 190 pounds, Williams’ physical stature doesn’t jump off the page. But what the Los Angeles product lacks in size, he makes up for in explosiveness, playmaking ability and raw DOGness. Sounds like Steve Smith Sr. Just ask the man himself.
That’s the kid that reminds me of me,' Smith said in a laudatory film breakdown of Williams. 'His demeanor -- he’s gonna punch you in the mouth, he’s gonna look at you. So, I really like this kid, I really like him.'”
Williams is indeed a fun watch, exhibiting the kind of dynamism and swagger that lead you to believe he can make a smooth transition to the league. The 22-year-old still needs to refine the finer points of his game -- eliminating concentration drops and polishing his route-running -- but there’s a lot of reason to believe he could wind up as a third-round steal who significantly nurtures the growth of Drake Maye."
Being compared to Steve Smith Sr. by anyone is a great comp. Getting it from the future Hall-of-Famer himself is icing on the cake. Smith was a great receiver who did everything in his 16 NFL seasons, even at his size, 5'9" and 195 pounds. What he lacked in size, he made up for with the heart of a lion.
Williams adds a dimension that was totally lacking in the 2024 Patriots' offense
Filice noted a characteristic that the Patriot Nation will most appreciate, since it didn't exist on offense in 2024. That's Kyle Williams' explosiveness. He has blazing 4.4 forty speed that gives him the wherewithal to outrun almost any defensive backs when he gets a seam in the defense.
That speed allowed him to catch 70 passes for 1198 yards and 14 touchdowns for the Cougars in 2024. Yet, there's another key attribute that Patriots Nation will witness. That's his ability to pivot on a dime after a catch and accelerate to full speed in what seems like an instant.
That wondrous first step and the immediate explosiveness will be as good as any in the NFL. The only Patriot player who had that type of explosiveness in 2024 was Marcus Jones, and he played on defense, as he likely will again in 2025.
Regardless, Williams and his fellow rookie, running back TreVeyon Henderson from Ohio State, the Pats' second-round pick, will add abundant explosiveness to Drake Maye's 2025 arsenal. Expect Henderson to also be in contention for the All-Rookie Offensive team. Williams will rack up lots of catches. His explosiveness is a difference-maker and will help the Patriots get to the playoffs in 2025.