Washington State’s Kyle Williams has been a late draft riser, but still isn't getting much love from draft media. He provides many of the surface level traits that NFL teams fall in love with, like speed, explosiveness, and big play ability in the open field. These tools could help him contribute right away in a specific role, and there’s plenty of room for him to grow into a full field threat.
Measurables
Height: 5’11’’, Weight: 190, Arm Length: 30.1’’, Hands: 8.75’’
Testing - Combine
40-Yard Dash: 4.40, 10-Yard Split: 1.55, Vertical: 36.5’’, Broad: 9’11’’
Scouting Overview
Kyle Williams’ vertical ability is very evident. He’ll use hip shifts towards the end of his stem to keep the defenders guessing on which direction he’s going, and his third gear acceleration is excellent. He’s also lightning quick when facing press coverage. He can win at the line of scrimmage, even when his defender has route leverage. This makes him a dangerous weapon on shallow crossing routes and slants.
Williams is also dynamic in the open field, capable of flipping the field on a quick pass. He runs through arm tackles very well for a player with his frame, and has angle defeating speed. His best trait as a YAC weapon is the way he transitions from receiver to ball carrier. He obeys the direction of the ball very well and makes good decisions. He has a great drop step that allows him to split the defense after he settles in an open zone.
If Williams is going to develop into more of a full field receiver, he needs to refine his intermediate routes. He has an excellent toolbox of moves that he uses to set up his breaks, but some of them lack consistent craft. He also often fails to snap out of breaks in this part of the field. He will turn his head, then turn the rest of his body in two separate motions. This not only makes him slower out of his breaks, but also tips off his routes. He also needs to refine his footwork when breaking back to the quarterback. He has excellent natural stop/start ability, but he fails to drop his weight effectively. All of these things being said, Williams still creates consistent separation on these routes at the college level. It’s worth questioning if this will come so easily in the NFL, but if he corrects these technical flaws, he could become a fantastic route runner.
Williams’ pass catching is another area where he’ll need to improve his technique. He’s cleaned up some serious drop issues from earlier in his career, and his contested catch rate in 2024 was 62.5%, but he clap attacks the football far too often. This is a technical flaw that tends to be much more of an issue in the NFL, but there are players who overcome the problem.
Overall, Kyle Williams is one of the more interesting evaluations in this draft class. His natural separation ability and skill against press coverage leave me wondering why his draft stock isn’t higher. There are lapses in his game, but none of them are fatal flaws that rarely get fixed at this stage of a player's career.
Player Comparison
There are a few different paths that Williams could take to being a useful receiver. If the team that drafts him leans into his skill against press, he could be similar to Rashod Bateman. That might not get everyone excited, but Bateman is a solid player who’s stuck in a thankless role. He’s a pure vertical X receiver who isn’t quite able to get vertical the way he was in college, but does an important job for his offense. If his team ...
