Editor’s note: This is the first story in a 10-part series looking at the most intriguing New England Patriots players ahead of training camp.There was hope when the New England Patriots selected Kyle Williams in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft that he’d be the wide receiver to snap the team’s draft struggles at that position.With a new regime led by coach Mike Vrabel, the Pats hoped they had finally picked a wide receiver who would come in and make an immediate difference.But even without a great group of receivers ahead of him, Williams’ rookie season was underwhelming. He caught just 10 passes. Of his 209 receiving yards, 72 came on one play.It wasn’t all bad. Three of those 10 catches went for touchdowns, and his speed was obvious.Now, Williams enters his second pro season hoping to improve on his rookie year. If he doesn’t, Williams could be cast aside before the 2027 season. That’s why he kicks off our series as one of the 10 most intriguing Patriots to watch as the team enters training camp.HistoryWilliams was a high school quarterback with aspirations of a Division I offer before switching to wide receiver as a senior. He spent his first three college seasons at UNLV before transferring to Washington State.With the Cougars, Williams shone as a deep-threat receiver. New to the position, his route running wasn’t polished, and he dealt with too many drops (he has small hands). But he used his exceptional straight-line speed (he ran a 4.40-second 40-yard dash) to beat defenders. Williams was also excellent off the line of scrimmage and was able to get clean releases against top cornerbacks.The Patriots used a third-round pick on Williams, but he struggled to make an impact last season. Williams played more than 25 percent of the offensive snaps just once in the first eight games and had just two catches for 20 yards in his first nine games.But in Week 10, Williams took his lone reception against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a 72-yard touchdown on what was easily the biggest play of his rookie year.