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Is there enough room in the New England Patriots’ offense for wide receiver Kyle Williams to enjoy a rise in 2026?
Williams has reportedly been making his case for an elevated role on the Patriots this offseason. The Washington State product was a deep-ball threat for New England last season. Williams recorded 10 receptions for 209 receiving yards and three touchdowns on the year.
The Maryland native revealed this spring that he bulked up to 190 pounds to give himself a competitive advantage on the outside next season.
The Patriots’ wide receiver room is liable to look a lot different in the next couple of weeks. They are expected to trade for Philadelphia Eagles star wide receiver A.J. Brown in June, which will give New England a clear-cut pecking order in their receiving game with Brown as the WR1 and Romeo Doubs as the WR2.
New England still has Mack Hollins, who was highly-effective last season and served as a spark plug for the team. Hollins recorded a 70.8 percent catch rate in 2025. Patriots coach Mike Vrabel stated earlier in the offseason that DeMario Douglas will have a bigger role in the offense next season.
Douglas has the slot locked down, but his target share figures to increase. Those are four mouths to feed, two of which will likely demand an excess of 180 targets. The other two figure to garner at least 120.
Then there’s tight end Hunter Henry. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye targeted Henry 87 times last season, more than any other pass-catcher, save Stefon Diggs, who received 102 targets. Henry is likely to see a slight dip in targets next season, especially if the Patriots’ front office trades for Brown.
Nevertheless, those are five players that require a healthy share of targets, and that’s not even taking into account Kayshon Boutte, perhaps the biggest remaining wild card of the offseason. Boutte finished third on the Patriots in receiving last season with 551 yards. However, he only received 46 targets.
Boutte’s play in the postseason has him in line to receive more targets next season than he received in 2025 if he remains with the team, as trade rumors circulate. He also finished second on the team in receiving touchdowns last season with six. However, his future with the team is uncertain, as he’s liable to be dealt in the coming weeks.
Williams will need to prove his skills and versatility for the remainder of the offseason, especially in training camp and the preseason, to carve out an increased role in the offense next season.
Williams did score three receiving touchdowns last season. He was able to use his foot speed to get to the outside and reel in catches, as well as his footwork to bring in receptions and stay in bounds. The 23-year-old will need to make the most of his opportunities more, with his 47.6 percent catch rate in need of improvement. He was the only Patriots wide receiver who recorded a catch rate less than 67.4 percent in 2025.
The role that Williams receives next season will be up to him to earn. With a similar volume of targets to go around next season, Williams has a great chance to receive over 30, as opposed to the 21 he saw last season.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Will a deep WR room help or hurt Kyle Williams' growth with Patriots?
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Williams has reportedly been making his case for an elevated role on the Patriots this offseason. The Washington State product was a deep-ball threat for New England last season. Williams recorded 10 receptions for 209 receiving yards and three touchdowns on the year.
The Maryland native revealed this spring that he bulked up to 190 pounds to give himself a competitive advantage on the outside next season.
The Patriots’ wide receiver room is liable to look a lot different in the next couple of weeks. They are expected to trade for Philadelphia Eagles star wide receiver A.J. Brown in June, which will give New England a clear-cut pecking order in their receiving game with Brown as the WR1 and Romeo Doubs as the WR2.
New England still has Mack Hollins, who was highly-effective last season and served as a spark plug for the team. Hollins recorded a 70.8 percent catch rate in 2025. Patriots coach Mike Vrabel stated earlier in the offseason that DeMario Douglas will have a bigger role in the offense next season.
Douglas has the slot locked down, but his target share figures to increase. Those are four mouths to feed, two of which will likely demand an excess of 180 targets. The other two figure to garner at least 120.
Then there’s tight end Hunter Henry. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye targeted Henry 87 times last season, more than any other pass-catcher, save Stefon Diggs, who received 102 targets. Henry is likely to see a slight dip in targets next season, especially if the Patriots’ front office trades for Brown.
Nevertheless, those are five players that require a healthy share of targets, and that’s not even taking into account Kayshon Boutte, perhaps the biggest remaining wild card of the offseason. Boutte finished third on the Patriots in receiving last season with 551 yards. However, he only received 46 targets.
Boutte’s play in the postseason has him in line to receive more targets next season than he received in 2025 if he remains with the team, as trade rumors circulate. He also finished second on the team in receiving touchdowns last season with six. However, his future with the team is uncertain, as he’s liable to be dealt in the coming weeks.
Williams will need to prove his skills and versatility for the remainder of the offseason, especially in training camp and the preseason, to carve out an increased role in the offense next season.
Williams did score three receiving touchdowns last season. He was able to use his foot speed to get to the outside and reel in catches, as well as his footwork to bring in receptions and stay in bounds. The 23-year-old will need to make the most of his opportunities more, with his 47.6 percent catch rate in need of improvement. He was the only Patriots wide receiver who recorded a catch rate less than 67.4 percent in 2025.
The role that Williams receives next season will be up to him to earn. With a similar volume of targets to go around next season, Williams has a great chance to receive over 30, as opposed to the 21 he saw last season.
Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Will a deep WR room help or hurt Kyle Williams' growth with Patriots?
Continue reading...
