When WSU wide receiver Kyle Williams declared for the draft back in early January, his potential value in the draft was up in the air. After impressing scouts at Senior Bowl practices, Williams received an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine. Williams ran a 4.40 there and performed well in several other categories.
At that point he was receiving third to fourth round grades from scouts. Over a month later, Williams is receiving as high as second-round grades.
Williams was ranked 18th at his position and No. 152 overall by Pro Football Focus on their NFL Draft big board and now he is ranked ninth among receivers and No. 64 overall. The former Cougar was also ranked No. 74 overall by Bleacher Report NFL scouting analyst Brent Sobleski and No. 58 by ESPN NFL draft analyst Field Yates.
Since the combine and the draft process have ramped up, Williams has also seen increased traction with specific NFL teams, reportedly visiting the Chicago Bears, New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans and New York Jets. The San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins are among other teams expected to host Williams. The majority of these visits were listed as top-30 visits, a great sign for Williams as his stock continues to skyrocket.
At the combine, Williams spoke confidently expressing pride in his abilities and his performance at the Senior Bowl practices.
“[It’s] just something I’ve been doing my whole career, getting open,” Williams said. “I feel like it’s plain and simple like that. A lot of people can’t cover me, even your best DB. So it’s just like you line me up one-on-one, 11 times out of 10 I’m a win.”
All signs are pointing up for Williams, but there is still just under two weeks for things to change in either direction.
Williams’ Draft Projection
If there is anything that proves that draft stock can fluctuate wildly, it is Williams. It is not that Williams did showcase his talents throughout the 2024 season, he simply has more eyes on him and those eyes are paying much closer attention to detail than they were months ago.
Williams ability as a vertical threat has been touted throughout the draft process, as well as his mature and precise footwork and quick release off the line of scrimmage. What really stands out though for Williams is his straight-line speed and getaway speed to gain yards after the catch.
With his 4.40 time at the scouting combine that tied for 11th among the wide receiver group, Williams quickly drew ire for his quickness. He also tested at a 36.50-inch vertical jump, placing him 17th among recivers.
With his speed, Williams touted versatility as something scouts shouuld watch out for.
“I feel like my biggest strength is my versatility,” Williams said. “You can move me in and out. I mean my route running is pure, it’s smooth, it’s consistent and then being able to vertically stretch the field is something a lot of people can’t do and I’m real consistent with.”
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein said Williams will never be a “sure-handed” receiver but his versatility and catch-and-run ability help to limit those issues.
“He eliminates pursuit angles as a catch-and-run artist and gets respectful cushions, allowing for easy comeback throws,” Zierlein said. “His lack of route-running fundamentals limit his tree, but that should be correctable with work. Williams’ subpar hands lower his floor, but teams looking to add a playmaker could have him queued up as a future WR3.”
Zierlein gave Williams a second-round projection and compared him to current Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. ESPN NFL draft analyst Field Yates gave Williams a similar outlook, projecting him to the Houston Texans at the No. 58 in his latest mock draft. Yates said Williams could give the Texans some “juice,” especially with their wide receiver room being in flux.
Given that Williams was not high on scout radars throughout the season despite being eigth in the country in receiving yards in 2024 with 1,198 yards, it is unlikely Williams will rise much higher than his current rankings. The former WSU and UNLV standout has plenty baseline strengths, but his need to reduce drops and expand and polish his route tree limits his ceiling right now.
Several of the receivers ahead of Williams, including the likes of Tetairoa McMillan, Emeka Egbuka and Jayden Higgins, played tougher competition, outclass Williams in terms of athleticism and have higher upside all-around. Look for Williams to find a home for a receiver-needy team at the end of the second round and early in the third, but don’t be surprised if he slides due to a string of defensive picks.
Realistic Team Fits
“I feel like the more you can do, the more opportunities you get on the field,” Williams said. “So just being able to to stretch myself in and out is just very important to me, that way a lot of people can’t game plan for me and when you see me it’s just hard to just cover.”
That is something former Miami and WSU quarterback Cam Ward would love to have in his offense. The Tennessee Titans reportedly hosted Williams on April 8, according to ESPN insider Adam Schefter. The Titans have the No. 1 pick in the draft and are widely expected to take Ward per most mock drafts.
Ward and Williams played together at WSU in 2023 where Ward threw 843 of his 3,732 yards to Williams. Tennessee’s offensive coordinator Nick Holz was Williams’ coordinator during his time at UNLV before he transferred to WSU. The Titans also have a big need at receiver as its depth behind No. 1 receiver Calvin Ridley is shaky at best, making this a potentially seamless fit.
The Titans do sit at an awkward spot with the third pick of the second round and no third rounder, and the first pick of the fourth round is likely too late to take Williams. If the Titans like the potential chemistry between Ward and Williams, a trade-up is likely.
Another AFC South team, the Texans, could be a strong landing spot as well. The Texans sit at No. 58, toward the end of the second round, and have uncertainty at the wide receiver position with Stefon Diggs leaving and Tank Dell recovering from a knee injury.
There are several contenders at the end of the second round like the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills who could pounce on Williams, but teams that Williams visited like New England and Chicago have more need at the position.
The Patriots signed Diggs, but Kendrick Bourne and DeMario Douglas do not necessarily inspire confidence behind him. In Chicago, DJ Moore and former University of Washington receiver Rome Odunze is a good start for the Bears, but a team can never have enough weapons for a young quarterback like Caleb Williams. Either of teams could slide Williams right in and ease him into a bigger role.
Williams will have options in the draft with multiple teams eyeing him, but if any team needs reassurance about his abilities, Williams has the endorsement of projected WSU starting quarterback Zevi Eckhaus.
“They’re going to get a phenomenal player,” Eckhaus said. “A player that just really cares about what he does you know and he cares about the guys around him. Kyle Williams, I could be here all day just talking about the great things that he did while he was here, but the most important thing that I’ll say is he’s a really hard worker and he’s a very talented player and he doesn’t let the knowledge of him being a talented player slow him down from how hard he works.”
The NFL Draft will take place April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and will be available on ESPN and ABC.
