Patriots' Kyle Williams Logs Unique Accomplishment With TD

The New England Patriots have plenty of speed and talent throughout their roster, but rookie Kyle Williams sure does know how to show off his as an individual.

Getting the Patriots on the board towards the end of the first quarter, the wide receiver reached a top speed of 21.78 mph on his 72-yard catch and run touchdown from Drake Maye. This marked the fastest speed by a rookie ball carrier this season, and tied for the seventh-fastest by any ball carrier. It was also Williams' third career catch.

Entering into the matchup, it was highly predicted that Williams could turn a short-spaced route into a high-yardage touchdown. And that's exactly what happened.

Pats rookie WR Kyle Williams takes off for a 72-yard score!

NEvsTB on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/2iQpcxOXe3
— NFL (@NFL) November 9, 2025

Who is Rookie Kyle Williams, and Why Can He Run 22 MPH?

Williams was originally drafted by New England in the third round — No. 69 overall — of the 2025 NFL Draft.

New head coach Mike Vrabel previously and openly said that he's been looking forward to the opportunity for Williams to show of his skillset.

“Kyle's been learning a lot of different positions,” Vrabel said of Williams. “I'm excited that he'll probably get an opportunity here … It's just a lot of different personnel groups and alignments, and I think he settled down … Kyle should be ready to go here for us.”

Williams is a Washington State alum and has been widely praised for his speed, athleticism and explosive play-making ability on the football field. His 20 touchdown catches over two seasons at Washington State tied for sixth-most in program history. Additionally, his seven 100-yard games at Washington State are also tied for 10th-most in Washington State history.

Jul 23, 2025; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Kyle Williams (18) makes a catch during training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Only 22, Williams entered play at Tampa Bay with only two receptions for 20 yards while aligning on 122 snaps while competing against veterans Stefon Diggs, DeMario Douglas and Mack Hollins on the depth chart. Undrafted WR Efton Chism III has also seen play recently, with plenty of names present throughout the Pats' wide receiver room.

But, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said Williams in particular has been putting all the right plays in motion in terms of proving himself throughout his rookie season.

“What we’ve done is look at the things we’re doing when the ball doesn’t come to you,” McDaniels said of Williams. “Are you doing the right things? A lot of times he is. And I keep saying — I’ve said that I feel like I broken record — the ball hasn’t quite found him on certain things yet, but if it does, then we’ll see what that looks like.”

By the time the first half concluded against the Buccaneers, Williams' 72 yards and one touchdown leads the way on the statsheet in terms of receivers.

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