Three Keys to Joseph Williams Breaking Out as an NFL Prospect

Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Joseph Williams looks to carve out a role as a primary target and build his NFL Draft stock in 2026.

Nov 8, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Joseph Williams (8) celebrates after catching a pass for a touchdown during the second quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

The Colorado Buffaloes’ receiver room is highlighted by one key returner: Joseph Williams. He showed promise as the Buffs’ second-leading receiver in 2025, with hopes to raise the bar in 2026.

If Williams can carve out a role as the Buffaloes’ primary target, he will have a plethora of opportunities to build his stock for the 2027 NFL Draft. Here’s a look at the three keys to Williams building his NFL Draft stock in 2026.

How Joseph Williams Can Emerge as a Leader in the Colorado Buffaloes’ Receiver Room

Nov 8, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Joseph Williams (8) catches a pass for a touchdown during the second quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Williams is one of five returning receivers to the Buffs’ roster. Out of that group, he’s the only one who made significant contributions to the aerial attack throughout the 2025 season. He finished with 489 yards and four touchdowns on 37 receptions for an average of 13.7 yards per catch during that campaign. 

Considering the impact he had on the 2025 squad and the fact that he is a familiar face to coaches in a room full of newcomers this season, he won’t have much to prove. He’ll likely emerge in a major role in the offense, but he needs to become a leader for the rest of the room subsequently.

If Williams can display quality character, it will stand out to NFL teams. This includes weeding out off-the-field issues, such as his late arrival to an October team meeting. It caused coach Deion Sanders to bench him for much of the Buffs’ 53-7 loss to the Utah Utes. Though his issues didn’t stem beyond this, it still cost the team dearly.

The Importance of a Good Return From Injury

Oct 11, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Joseph Williams (8) celebrates his first down in the fourth quarter against the Iowa State Cyclones at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Williams displaying good character is just as important as his play on the field. However, the latter of which may be negatively impacted by the adversity Williams faced during the spring season.

Williams suffered an injury during spring practice that caused him to miss much of the spring season, including Colorado’s spring game. Williams missed crucial developmental time as a result, and he now needs a strong bounce-back if he hopes to have a productive season.

Colorado’s wide receiver room, though full of new players, is loaded. Williams will already have a hard enough time winning the job as the Buffs’ primary target as it is, as will all of their receivers. But if Williams has to spend more time rehabbing his injury early in the year, or if he isn’t at 100 percent while he’s on the field, it will only make matters worse.

Williams needs a strong rehab during the summer and an explosive start to the season as a result. It will allow him to stand out early to his coaching staff and NFL scouts alike.

How Joseph Williams’s Frame and Play Style Can Make Him an NFL Receiver

Nov 8, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Joseph Williams (8) catches a pass for a touchdown during the second quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

If Williams can emerge as a leader and bounce back well from his injury, he should have no problem displaying NFL-level production in 2026.

Williams stands 6-2, 200 pounds, while still possessing eye-catching speed. His frame and skillset made him a threat in the deep pass game for the Buffs in 2025, as they did in 2024 with the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.

Williams’ ability to take the top off of defenses, while still displaying the shiftiness necessary to play the slot, makes him a versatile enough receiver to make a case for the NFL. In his most notable career games, like his 128-yard, one-touchdown performance in Colorado’s upset of the then-No. 22 Iowa State Cyclones, he used that versatility to carve up defenses.

If Williams can do the same in Brennan Marion’s ‘Go-Go’ offense, it will lay a blueprint for NFL teams on how to maximize Williams’s abilities. He possesses the frame and physicals expected from NFL receivers; all he has to do now is turn them into production on the field.

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