Kyle Williams WR Washington State | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Kyle Williams WR Washington State
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
ROLE: Outside X-Receiver | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last Updated: 01/31/2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Draft Year: 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
40 time: 4.46 seconds (66%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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ROLE: Outside X-Receiver | |
Last Updated: 01/31/2025 | |
Draft Year: 2025 | |
40 time: 4.46 seconds (66%*) | |
Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |
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Overall Rating: | 82.2 / 100 | |
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Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
Defense Rating: |
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77% |
Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
QB Rating When targeted: | 127.7 | |
Hands: |
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75% |
Short Receiving: |
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81% |
Intermediate Routes: |
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80% |
Deep Threat: |
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87% |
Blocking: |
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52% |
DRAFT PROJECTION:
6th
Overall Rank:
#188
Position rank:
#23
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College Games: 50 College Snaps: 2879 | ||
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Draft Profile: Bio
Born in Santa Monica, California, Kyle Williams' path to becoming an NFL prospect wasn't exactly conventional. After bouncing between Hawthorne and Narbonne High Schools as a quarterback, Williams found his true calling at receiver when he landed at St. Monica Catholic. Despite modest recruiting attention as a three-star prospect, Williams showed immediate promise at UNLV, earning Second-Team Freshman All-American honors while hauling in 35 catches for 426 yards in a COVID-shortened 2020 season.His steady progression continued through three seasons with the Rebels, but it wasn't until his transfer to Washington State that Williams truly exploded onto the NFL radar. His first season in Pullman saw him rack up 843 yards and six scores, but that was just an appetizer for what was to come. In 2024, Williams erupted for 1,198 yards and 14 touchdowns, including a Holiday Bowl record 172 yards against Syracuse that broke a mark previously held by Cowboys legend Dez Bryant.
The 6'0", 186-pound wideout finished his collegiate career with impressive numbers across two programs - 131 catches for 2,041 yards and 20 touchdowns at Washington State alone. His senior season featured five 100-yard games and some truly electric moments, including becoming the first player in Cougar history to record back-to-back three-touchdown games.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Explosive release package with quick-twitch footwork that keeps corners guessing - routinely wins at the line with sudden movements and decisive first steps
- Natural deep-ball tracking ability jumps off the tape - adjusts to throws in flight while maintaining top-end speed and rarely breaks stride
- Dangerous catch-and-run skillset with smooth acceleration - takes bubble screens and turns them into chunk plays with natural weaving ability
- Shows advanced understanding of finding soft spots against zone coverage - consistently settles into windows and presents clear target for QB
- Vertical route-running savvy beyond his years - masterfully uses speed variations and subtle head fakes to stack defenders
- Creates easy throwing windows across the middle - understands leverage and how to use spacing to his advantage
- Impressive ability to maintain speed through direction changes - doesn't gear down when breaking off routes
- Versatile alignment experience with success both outside and in slot - gives offensive coordinators multiple ways to deploy him
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Lean frame leads to struggles against physical press coverage - needs to develop counters when corners get hands on him early
- Shows concerning tendency to drift upfield out of breaks rather than working back to ball - creates unnecessary contested catch situations
- Blocking effort and technique both need significant refinement - current ability makes him a liability in run game
- Will let passes get too deep into his frame rather than extending to catch away from body - leads to preventable drops
- Route depth consistency runs hot and cold - sometimes rounds off breaks and doesn't hit landmarks with precision
Scouting Report: Summary
Film study shows Williams has the vertical speed and natural feel for finding soft spots in coverage that NFL teams look for, but his lean frame and struggles against physical corners make him a player who might ultimately be limited to slot duties. While he's flashed from multiple alignments in college, his clearest path to early NFL playing time will come from the slot where his shifty release package and acceleration skills can be maximized without dealing with consistent press coverage.The Holiday Bowl tape against Syracuse highlights both his potential and limitations - while he can stack corners vertically and create after the catch in space, he struggled when Syracuse's defensive backs got physical with him early in routes. There's legitimate concern that bigger, more physical NFL corners will be able to disrupt his timing and throw off his game unless he's protected by alignment. His frame limitations aren't just about blocking - they show up consistently when he's forced to fight through contact.
A fourth-round grade feels right for Williams as a developmental prospect who projects as a rotational slot receiver with upside if he can add functional strength. He'll need to land with a system that can scheme him free releases and maximize his straight-line speed while minimizing situations where he has to consistently beat press coverage. The tools are there to contribute as a complementary piece, but expectations should be tempered about his ceiling given his physical limitations.
Kyle Williams percentiles vs other Wide Receivers (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Kyle Williams (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
515.0
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
72.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.