WSU WR Kyle Williams selected by New England Patriots in third round of NFL draft
PULLMAN – A second Washington State player has come off the board in this year’s NFL draft.
Wide receiver Kyle Williams was selected Friday in the third round by the New England Patriots, who used overall pick No. 69 to draft the two-year Cougar. Williams was the eighth receiver selected in the draft.
After spending the first three years of his career at UNLV, Williams played the 2023 and 2024 seasons at WSU, piling up more than 2,000 receiving yards in a Cougars uniform.
For his Washington State career, Williams totaled 131 catches for 2,041 yards and 20 touchdowns (sixth most in a career in WSU history). Last fall, he had 70 receptions for 1,198 yards (third most in a single season in program history) and 14 touchdowns (second most), blossoming into one of the best receivers in WSU football history.
During 25 games at WSU, the 6-foot Williams recorded seven 100-yard games, tied for 10th most in program history. That includes Williams’ 172-yard game against Syracuse in last season’s Holiday Bowl, the most in the bowl game’s 45-game history.
Williams is joining a Patriots team led by QB Drake Maye, who was selected by New England with the third overall pick in last year’s draft. The Patriots went just 4-13 last season, leading team brass to fire head coach Jerod Mayo after just one year. But with new coach Mike Vrabel in the fold, as well as 2025 first-round pick offensive lineman Will Campbell and second-round selection running back TreVeyon Henderson, the team could be trending upward.
In 2023, Williams burst onto the scene by developing a strong rapport with quarterback Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick by the Tennessee Titans on Thursday. Williams helped key the Cougars’ 4-0 start to the season, including a 63-yard touchdown pass against Oregon State, laying the foundation for Williams’ emergence in Pullman.
Last fall, Williams totaled five 100-yard outings, which came against FCS Portland State, San Jose State, Boise State, New Mexico and Syracuse. Recording the Cougars’ first 1,000-yard season since 2019, Williams also posted three touchdowns apiece against Utah State and New Mexico, becoming the first Cougar in program history with back-to-back games with three receiving scores.
Last season, Williams proved he was much more than a deep-ball threat, which was his reputation after his first season in Pullman.
Working with quarterback John Mateer, who has since transferred to Oklahoma, Williams developed into a sharp all-around receiver, finishing the season as Pro Football Focus’ 13th-highest graded wideout in the country.
A native of Inglewood, California, Williams may get on the field sooner than later in New England. The Patriots return veteran wideouts like Stefon Diggs and third-year slot receiver DeMario Douglas, but outside of third-year receiver Kayshon Boutte, the Patriots aren’t overly experienced at the position.
Veteran Kendrick Bourne, a product of Eastern Washington, also figures to be in the mix for snaps next season. Another former Eagle, recent Seattle Seahawks signee Cooper Kupp, was also drafted with the No. 69 overall selection, back in 2017.
At the NFL draft combine, where he was the only Cougar from last year’s team to receive an invitation, Williams ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash and recorded a vertical jump of 36 .5 inches.
“Fifth-year senior with alignment versatility and home run potential,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlien wrote. “Williams will never be tabbed as ‘sure-handed,’ but he can separate deep and create big plays, which could make the catch issues easier to swallow. He eliminates pursuit angles as a catch-and-run artist and gets respectful cushions, allowing for easy comeback throws.”
Shortly after Williams’ name was called, former WSU head coach Jake Dickert posted a congratulatory message on social media platform X, writing, “Congrats to Kyle and his entire family. All the hard work he put in has paid off.”
Dickert coached Williams at WSU before taking Wake Forest’s head coaching job in December.