New England Patriots - NESN.com
On Sunday, New England Patriots fans finally got a glimpse of why rookie wide receiver Kyle Williams has been such a hyped-up prospect.
Down 7-0 at the end of the first quarter, quarterback Drake Maye connected with Williams for a 72-yard touchdown.
A simple pitch and catch between Maye and Williams for 14 yards through the air. Then the rookie out of Washington State displayed what made him a highly touted prospect, sprinting the remaining 58 yards and leaving every Tampa Bay Buccaneers defender behind him.
The top speed for Williams? 21.78 mph, per NextGenStats. The rookie’s first touchdown of his career also set a new 2025 season record for any Patriots player’s top speed.
While Kayshon Boutte has been a consistent deep threat for the Patriots offense and Stefon Diggs has been a great slot receiver for New England, every offense needs game-breaking speed.
This was just the third career catch for Williams, so consistency is the first thing the rookie needs to concentrate on. But if offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels can continue to scheme open field plays like this for Williams, his speed should follow.
The Patriots eventually left Tampa Bay with a 28-23 win over the Bucs. New England will host the New York Jets on Thursday night.
