Washington State wide receiver Kyle Williams is among the most dynamic playmakers in the 2025 NFL Draft. Williams exploded this past season, recording 70 receptions for 1,198 yards and 14 touchdowns. He’s versatile, productive, and athletic enough to play every receiver spot in an NFL offense.
Williams recently spoke exclusively with The Draft Network. Williams discussed transferring from UNLV to Washington State, his breakout seasons in 2023 and 2024, his favorite route to run, creating yards after the catch, his pre-draft team visits, and more.
JM: Now that you've had time to reflect, how do you look back on the decision to transfer from UNLV to Washington State? That move worked out so well for you.
Kyle Williams: The transition from being in a city to a smaller town was probably the biggest adjustment I had to make. Looking back on it, I wouldn’t trade that experience for the world. I’m glad I made that decision.
The people I met at Washington State, the coaching staff heavily impacted me. All parties involved helped me grow as a person and player. The decision to transfer to Washington State is one I would make time and time again.
JM: You exploded this past season to record 70 receptions for 1,198 yards and 14 touchdowns this past season. It was an appropriate follow-up to your breakout 2023 season. What led to the increases in production? You really put it all together in 2024.
Kyle Williams: Everything just felt so routine to me. How I attacked everything off the field translated to on-field success. You see it when you turn on my film. I felt great about executing the game plan every single week. I just tried to stay consistent. It helped me be productive every single week.
JM: You've been working with Curt Truhe and Sazi Guthrie of the Excel Sports team throughout the pre-draft process. You’ve been running routes with Ricky Proehl. I know they’ve been getting you right throughout this process.
Kyle Williams: They are gurus in everything that they do. I call him Dr. Sazi because he’s a teach-tape kind of guy (laughs). That’s how he does things. Heck, I try to emulate how he moves. He’s moving around like he’s in his twenties.
The Excel Sports team has given me a ton of knowledge. They’re dropping a lot of gems. They’ve been in this game for a long time. I haven’t questioned any part of the process. They know exactly what they are doing.
JM: That work led to an outstanding performance at the NFL Combine. You ran a 4.42 40. Do you think you surprised scouts with that number? Were you satisfied with the performance?
Kyle Williams: I feel like I definitely surprised people, but I wasn’t pleased with myself. I knew I had more in the tank. I wanted to run a 4.35 or a 4.40 flat. I wasn’t impressed. I know I have more to give. It’s going to make me extra hungry at an NFL training camp.
JM: There’s no doubt about that. It was so much fun watching you run routes this past season. Does Kyle Williams have a favorite route to run?
Kyle Williams: I love running the slant route. There’s so many ways I can win with a slant route. It’s a very technical route. I love catching the ball and taking it for a long gain as opposed to catching it deep, even though most of my tape is littered with deep balls (laughs).
JM: Talk to me about your ability to play the boundary “X” position. If anyone thinks you don’t have the size to play outside, your release package threatens defenders off the line scrimmage. You beat press-man coverage. Your advanced numbers against man coverage are really good.
Kyle Williams: I pride myself on winning one-on-one matchups. That’s my bread and butter. I always feel like the best receivers in the NFL have to beat man coverage with consistency, they win one-on-one matchups.
You can find any receiver to play the “Z,” or find soft spots in zone coverage, but if you can consistently beat man-to-man coverage, say 85% of the time, you’ll always find yourself in good positions. That’s what it means to be a great receiver at the next level.
JM: I love that. You averaged 13 yards after the catch on screens this year. I’m not sure if you knew that or not. What about your game allowed you to make so many plays in the open field?
Kyle Williams: It’s all about my mindset. That’s a mentality thing in my opinion. Obviously you need to have a knack and natural feel for that as well. As a receiver, you only get so many of those opportunities during the course of a game.
If you run 70 plays on offense, you might get six or seven opportunities. You have to make something special happen when the ball comes your way. A screen pass is the extension of a run game. I’ve always said that.
If a running back can start five yards behind the line of scrimmage and gain 10-12 yards, or even more than that, I better make something happen when I catch a screen pass two yards behind the line of scrimmage. I have to do damage with that opinion.
JM: You did that at a high level. There’s been a lot of interest in you. I know you were in Tennessee for a visit with the Titans. Who are you scheduled to meet with?
Kyle Williams: I was in New England for a visit with the Patriots. Then I went to New York to meet with the Jets. I went to Tennessee and I recently finished up with the Houston Texans as well.
JM: There’s so much interest in you and it’s easy to see why. We’ve appreciated your time today. This conversation has highlighted why you’re one of the most explosive playmakers in the 2025 NFL Draft. What kinda impact are you going to make at the next level?
Kyle Williams: I’m definitely going to come in and add value wherever I can. I can even play gunner or jammer on special teams. Hopefully, I can make an instant impact as a wide receiver. I just want to leave my mark and make a positive impact in the locker room.
I’m going to bring competition to the table. I want to help uphold our standard and culture while helping the organization win games.
