Why Patriots aren’t viewing Kyle Williams as a roster-bubble player amid wideout competition
New England Patriots
“For me, I finally felt like I got my groove back.”
Despite the optics of second-year pro Kyle Williams toiling away on the Patriots’ third-team offense for most of the first few weeks of training camp, head coach Mike Vrabel pushed back against the assertion that the 2025 third-round pick was on the team’s roster bubble this summer.
Even if New England is still looking at a roster logjam with seven viable wide receivers fighting for regular reps, Williams’ speed and shiftiness are skills that the Patriots aren’t willing to cast aside moving forward.
“I really, really know that Kyle is going to help us,” Vrabel said earlier this month. “His speed is going to help us. And I don’t want to use this and get this to be overblown, and I’m going to use the word scheme or – He’s got a skill set, right? We’re going to find ways to get him the ball. … I know that he is going to be a large part of what we’re going to do.
“And those opportunities will continue to come. His release skills, his speed, his vertical speed, those are all things that we have to continue to take advantage of as we progress.”
Less than a week later, Vrabel opted to take a victory lap following New England’s preseason opener against the Colts.
“You guys were all laughing at me when I told you the other day,” Vrabel said when asked about Williams — one of the bright spots on an otherwise uneven preseason performance against Indianapolis.
Despite his slow start to camp, Williams showcased some of the skills that still have New England’s coaching staff enamored with his potential on Thursday — snagging two passes for 37 yards and a touchdown in the eventual 13-13 draw against the Colts.
“For me, I finally felt like I got my groove back,” Williams said Saturday of his performance. “Finally having fun. Not really worried about what I can’t control, so just maxing every opportunity I get, and things have been working out for me.”
Williams may not be a featured cog on Josh McDaniels’ offense — not with more established pass-catchers like A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs leading the way. It’s a testament to the depth at that position in Foxborough that a dynamic deep-ball threat like Kayshon Boutte is a viable trade chip at this stage of the summer.
But on a Patriots wideout corps lacking straight-line speed and separation ability, a player like Williams is worth keeping around — especially if he continues to round out his overall game as more of an ancillary piece of McDaniels’ greater offensive scheme.
For what it’s worth, Williams is not lacking in confidence when it comes to his own ability to make an impact on the gridiron in 2026 and beyond.
“Getting open is pretty easy, but it’s a lot of decision-making, you know?” Williams said. “You’ve got to be able to think on the fly and feel certain things. So, I mean, that’s probably the biggest challenge.”
Williams put his skills on display Thursday — releasing off the line against Colts corner Johnathan Edwards and eluding him with a quick crossover move before snagging a 12-yard touchdown from Tommy DeVito. He added another 25-yard pickup in the first half off of a downfield hitch before breaking a tackle and gaining extra yardage.
Williams put his high-end speed on display last season with several home-run plays, including a 72-yard touchdown against the Buccaneers, in which he turned on the jets after slipping past two Tampa Bay defensive backs.
But it’s the 23-year-old wideout’s wide array of moves off the snap that is an area of his game that he truly prides himself on — and one that could open the door for a greater role in New England’s offense moving forward.
“I have dreams about releases,” Williams said. “It’s something that I just do in my sleep. So, I mean, man-to-man and off the line is something that I really pride myself on. I’ve been priding myself on that from the jump.
“You know, watching a lot of guys, Davante [Adams], Keenan [Allen], Doug Baldwin, Stevie Johnson, like people like that that are really good off the line. I’ve always tried to model my game after that. Makes life a lot easier.”
If the Patriots do move on from Boutte, turning to Williams as the de facto deep-ball threat for Drake Maye makes logical sense, while Williams’ shiftiness and separation ability straight off the line could also make him a tantalizing red-zone threat.
Simplified routes might be the best diet for Williams at this stage of his career, as late breaks at the top of routes have often been a speed bump in his development during his tenure in Foxborough.
He earned an earful from Vrabel on Thursday after he didn’t cut back inside on another deep pass that likely would have drawn a defensive pass interference penalty had he been in the proper spot to fight for the ball.
Some of those growing pains will continue as Williams rounds out his skillset. But the former Washington State standout’s already evident gifts on the football field are enough that the Patriots plan on keeping him around moving forward.
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