Williams had a career year at Washington State, but would he be an upgrade at the NFL level?
The San Francisco 49ers have been fond of prospects from the Senior Bowl over the years during the John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan regime.
On Monday morning, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweeted that the 49ers will meet with Washington State wide receiver Kyle Williams this week. That name will trigger 49ers fans until the end of time. However, it’s 2025, and the personnel folks on the Niners aren’t thinking about a playoff game from over a decade ago.
It’s difficult to get a read on Williams as Washington State ran a very rinky-dink, 7-on-7 offense. This will only work in college-type offenses. It was heavy RPO, screens, slants, quick curl routes, and go routes. Mix in a few shallow crossers, and that was the extent to which you got to see Williams run routes.
Williams is small in stature compared to NFL wide receivers. His height (16th percentile), weight (24th percentile), arm length, and hand size (9th percentile) are all worrisome. Williams ran a 4.40 40-yard dash, which is in the 85th percentile, but his 10-yard split (48th percentile) and broad jump (35th percentile) suggest he needs to build up speed and isn’t overly quick or explosive.
Williams had a career year in 2024 with 70 receptions on 101 targets for 1,196 yards and 14 touchdowns. I’m always leery of prospects with one “wow” year of production.
What makes Williams’ projection so challenging is that you can watch an entire Cougars game from last year, take Utah State, for example, and he might put up production in the box score, but none of what he puts on the field is sustainable to the next level.
Williams’ speed shows up once the ball is in his hands. But as a route runner, he leaves a lot to be desired. He’s more of a one-speed type of wideout that doesn’t create separation. Of course, Kyle Shanahan’s offense does most of the work for you, but I struggle to see a player who should be taken in the top 50-75 based on the transferable traits to the next level.
I’d rather Jacob Cowing get the opportunities Williams would.