Patriots stay on the offensive in the third round with WR Kyle Williams, C Jared Wilson - The Boston Globe (2025)

The hope is that the 5-foot-11-inch, 190-pound Williams, with his big-play ability, can break New England’s streak of whiffing on wide receiver prospects.

“He’s fast, can play outside and inside, and is really good with the ball in his hands,” Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said. “For an undersized guy, he’s really tough. He doesn’t shy away from anything. He can block.”

As a fifth-year senior last season, Williams caught 70 passes for 1,198 yards (17.1 average) and 14 touchdowns. He logged 100 yards in five of Washington State’s 13 games, including a season-high 181 against New Mexico. He also caught a reception of at least 30 yards in nine games, making him a home-run threat.

His 2024 season was the best statistical year of college career. He started at UNLV in 2020, playing three seasons, but didn’t break out until he transferred to Washington State in 2023.

Asked Friday to describe his game, Williams used three adjectives: “versatile, game-changing, and electric.” His strengths include his contested catch radius, his success in one-on-one matchups, and his ability to turn chunk plays into sizable gains.

At the Senior Bowl, Williams recorded the highest speed among all participating wide receivers (21.36 miles per hour)

“I take pride in my craft,” Williams said. “I feel like it’s an art. You got to really take pride in art. You have to worry about the little things. I worry about those small little details and try to correct them in all aspects of my game.”

Williams visited Gillette Stadium as part of the pre-draft process, meeting with coach Mike Vrabel and wide receivers coach Todd Downing. He came away impressed with both.

“[Vrabel] loves the game,” Williams said. “You can hear it in his voice, the passion that he comes with. You know he’s a man of standards. He wants to work.”

Williams joins a crowded wide receiver room in New England, with Polk, Baker, Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, and Kendrick Bourne. Not all eight will make the 53-man roster, with three players likely on the outs. Baker’s skill set seems most duplicative with the addition of Williams.

Later in the third round Friday, the Patriots continued its offense-focused draft by taking Georgia center Jared Wilson with the 95th overall pick.

New England entered Friday with two selections, Nos. 69 and 77, but ended up trading back from No. 77 to No. 85 and picked up an additional fifth-rounder (No. 146) from Carolina in the process. The team then traded back again, this time to No. 95, while also adding a 2026 fourth-rounder from Kansas City.

The 6-3, 310-pound Wilson joins the mix at center, a position that became uncertain once the Patriots released longtime starter and captain David Andrews in March.

Wilson, who spent all four of his college seasons at Georgia, didn’t earn a starting role until last year. He started 12 games, missing two with a foot injury. Wilson will compete for the starting job alongside Garrett Bradbury, Cole Strange, and Ben Brown, though Wolf said he could also flex to guard.

The Patriots have six picks on Day 3, with a fourth-rounder (No. 106 overall), three fifth-rounders (Nos. 144, 146, 171), and two seventh-rounders (Nos. 220 and 238).

Nicole Yang can be reached at nicole.yang@globe.com.Follow her @nicolecyang.