Because Kyle Williams didn’t play for a national powerhouse college football program, it might not occur to everyone who thinks about the New England Patriots wide receiver just how good he was at Washington State.
But there have been few players in Wazzu history as impressive as Williams.
Williams spent two seasons with the Cougars after beginning his college career at UNLV. In 2023, he had 61 catches for 843 yards and six touchdowns, but that was just the opening act.
In Williams’ final college season, he went for 70 catches, 1,198 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Williams’ final college game was the Holiday Bowl, in which he had 10 grabs for 172 yards and a touchdown.
That was enough for the Patriots to make Williams a third-round pick, No. 69 overall, in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Williams, though, hasn’t made much of an impact so far.
As a rookie, he appeared in all 17 games but was targeted just 21 times. He caught 10 of those for 209 yards and three touchdowns.
And on Wednesday night, Williams played very little in the Pats’ season-opening loss to the Seahawks.
Williams was on the field for 12 offensive snaps and ran seven routes, both last among five Patriots receivers who were active for the game.
Why Isn’t Kyle Williams Playing More?
The Patriots do have a crowded WR depth chart, which explains part of the issue for Williams.
But when they traded Kayshon Boutte earlier in the preseason to the Houston Texans, that seemed like the type of move that could open the door for Williams.
Everything about the Pats’ wideout usage in the season opener was odd, though.
Mack Hollins led the way in snaps — although that’s in part because he’s often on the field to block for the running game.
DeMario Douglas had the second-most snaps, 44, and ran a team-high 33 routes.
Romeo Doubs, one of the new acquisitions, was next with 40 snaps and 32 routes run.
A.J. Brown would’ve had more but he hurt his ankle and will miss time — he still had 31 snaps and 16 routes run.
Williams brought up the rear, not even getting much more work once Brown went down.
New England must not see the upside they were hoping for out of Williams, at least relative to players like Douglas and Hollins who are proven NFL veterans who the Patriots clearly trust.
Can Kyle Williams Become Wazzu Star in NFL?
Williams is going to have a tough time breaking through on this current Patriots roster, although Brown’s injury could open the door just a bit.
As shown by Williams’ three receiving touchdowns as a rookie, he can make plays when given the opportunity.
But just like in his college career that got better every season, Williams still needs things to break his way to breakout in the NFL. Right now, not much has worked out for Williams, but he’s still just 23 — there’s plenty of time for him to find his way to NFL success.
Why Wazzu Legend Kyle Williams Isn’t Playing Much for Patriots in NFL