Kyle Williams
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The New England Patriots have told wide receiver Kyle Williams to make a series of improvements.
He showcased enough to prove he can be the big-play threat the New England Patriots need in the passing game, but wide receiver Kyle Williams is still being asked to fix two problems ahead of his second season in the NFL.
Williams, a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft, is a legitimate field-stretcher, but he knows speed alone won’t take his game to the next level. Instead, the former Washington State star admitted the Patriots “gave me some bullet points, and what I should be doing,” per MassLive.com’s Karen Guregian.
What Williams should be doing is targeting a pair of major physical improvements. Those improvements involve Williams needing “to gain play strength put a few more muscle on that slender frame.”
That’s a sensible ambition for a 5-foot-11, 190-pounder, but there’s another pressing issue facing the wideout. It’s one he intends to solve “with some yoga and pilates to help with his change of direction and explosiveness,” according to Guregian.
Williams explained, “I’ve got some stiff hips. I have to apply some WD-40 on those hips.” Greater flexibility can add some nuance to the game of a pass-catcher who currently makes his biggest impact attacking pass coverage in straight lines.
Kyle Williams Keen to Add Layers to Game
Building out his repertoire running routes remains the priority for Williams. The 23-year-old told Guregian, “Off the line I’m pretty good. At the beginning of the route I’m good. At the top, I definitely need some work.”
Winning higher up the field must begin with Williams adding muscle to better resist press coverage at the line. Pressing Williams, with a safety over the top, is the obvious way for defenses to slow a receiver who averaged 20.9 yards per reception as a rookie.
Most of Williams’ yards came on ‘go’ routes ran vertically to get behind a secondary. He had eight deep targets, according to Player Profiler and averaged 13 yards before catch per reception, per Pro Football Reference.
What the Patriots need is for Williams to become more of factor after the catch. To use his play speed in more varied ways, like running quick crossers to give quarterback Drake Maye an easy read under pressure.
Williams could soon find himself under siege from increased competition if he doesn’t make the necessary changes.
Patriots Need More Weapons in Passing Game
Not only could the Pats add a proven deep threat in 2026 NFL free agency, they already have Kayshon Boutte, who has established a prolific rapport with Maye. Boutte is capable, but he doesn’t scare defenses, and that’s what the New England passing game is missing.
A greater fear factor can come from Williams taking the next step in his development. He’s got the kind of game-breaking speed to put covering defenders on their heels and leave opponents with something to account for any time he’s in the lineup.
Maturing into something more than a niche speedster can earn Williams a starting role. It would also solve an underrated problem for the Patriots in a cost-effective way, leaving head coach Mike Vrabel and general manager Eliot Wolf to spend their salary cap dollars on a more dynamic athlete at tight end.