NFL Draft
3/10/25
6 min read
Kyle Williams 2025 NFL Draft: Scouting Report For Washington State Cougars WR
Height: 5102 (verified)
Weight: 182lbs (verified)
Year: Redshirt Senior
Pro Comparison: Tyler Scott
Scouting Overview
Washington State Cougars wide receiver Kyle WIlliams projects as a vertical threat at the NFL level. Williams has big-play ability down the field and pairs his separation skills on the perimeter with an ability to take short passes in stride and gash opposing defenses.
Williams has plenty of room to grow as a refined route runner, but his immediate strengths can serve a legitimate role on an NFL offense. This past season, Williams was a capable target on the inside and outside and has the quicks to work in the slot at the NFL level if his fundamentals continue to expand.
2025 NFL Combine Results
| Position | Name | School | 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Split | Broad Jump | Vertical Jump | 3-Cone Drill | 20-Yard Shuttle | Bench Press |
| WR | Kyle Williams | Washington State | 4.4 | 1.55 | 119 | 36.5 |
Positives
- Boasts fringe 4.3 speed with an ability to separate in isolation on the perimeter when attacking down the field
- Became an impactful schemed target and screen weapon in 2024 to collect yards after the catch
- Has illustrated the ability to win routes early within the contact window with his burst and releases
Negatives
- Limited catch radius that does not offer his quarterback a great deal of margin for error
- Leaves angles open for defenders to work into an area to contest throws at the catch point at the top of routes
- Lacks hand size to attack the football in flight like you’d prefer
Background
Williams was born in Baltimore, MD, and played high school football for Hawthorne HS, Narbonne HS, and Saint Monica HS. As a prep talent, Williams played a slew of positions, including wide receiver, defensive back, quarterback, and special teams returner. He was rated as a 3-star athlete (247 Sports) and eventually landed with UNLV over offers from other Western programs like Nevada, Colorado State, San Diego State, and others.
Williams played three seasons for the Rebels program from 2020-2022. He led the team in receiving as a true freshman in 2020 but retained his eligibility thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was named the Mountain West Conference’s Freshman of the Year. He was second on the team in receiving in 2021 and then led the team in touchdown receptions (5) in 2022.
After his redshirt sophomore season, Williams entered the transfer portal as a 3-star transfer (247 Sports). He enrolled at Washington State and put up big numbers as a starter alongside QB Cam Ward in 2023. He saved his best for last — Williams set a program record for receiving touchdowns (14) in 2024 during his senior year.
Williams accepted an invitation to the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl to culminate his college career.
Tale Of The Tape
Williams has plenty of juice and has now illustrated across multiple opportunities that he’s got the big-play gene. He’s an exciting athlete who wins downfield and with the ball in his hands. The diversity of the rest of his game will need to be built up upon his arrival into the NFL.
As a pass catcher, Williams has easy gas that he uses to stack corners on the boundary and put them on the defensive. He’s easily blown past a number of soft press and zone corners to overtake space vertically. He complements the raw speed element with slipperiness against press.
He can set up press corners with rapid-fire feet and good body control. That said, he isn’t the biggest player and will need to ensure he bats a high average at getting through punches, or else there is a risk of his timing being greatly deterred.
The route tree isn’t particularly diverse for Williams, but the movement skills suggest that there’s the required growth potential to become a more complete receiver. Nearly a quarter of his routes this season were “go’s,” and when you build out his top three most frequent routes (go’s, hitches, and out route), he’s sitting at more than 52 percent of all routes run. The precision on hard-angled breaks must improve to cut down on angles for defenders to drive and attack the football.
In the middle of the field or in underneath areas with hitches, Williams must continue to build out his peripheral vision to feel voids and not drift into defenders to become a more quarterback-friendly target. As he currently stands, he’s best running man-beating runaways underneath with crossers, designed screens on the perimeter, or the deep variation of go’s, fades, posts, and corners down the field.
His slot usage expanded in 2024 — he more than doubled his snap rate inside. Williams’ value here lies in having more space to set up easy catch-and-run completions. He does not project favorably as a run game complement on the fringes of the core. As a matter of fact, with his speed, he’s best used in the run game trying to pull a corner out on the perimeter to lift and create a soft edge of the defense.
Williams' hand size is undesirable for the position, failing to clear 9 inches (8.75”). It isn’t the end of the world, but it does show up in how he addresses the football square to the quarterback.
His extension to greet the football is modest, and the ball tends to get into his frame. This results in a modest catch radius and defenders that can play on his body as the ball arrives, which results in a higher percentage of disrupting the reception.
Ideal Scheme Fit, Role
Williams projects as a developmental Z-receiver at the NFL level. He’ll be best using his ability to attack coverage vertically to create favorable coverage spacing.
This mitigates his size challenges as a run-game contributor and will allow him to run his best routes with frequency.
Grade: 71.00/100.00, Fifth Round Value
Big Board Rank: TBD
Position Rank: TBD
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