FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots rookie Kyle Williams is not only getting the chance to live his dream by becoming an NFL receiver, he is also playing alongside his gridiron idol.

As he continues to raise eyebrows with his impressive play during training camp practices, Williams is also making every effort to absorb the wisdom and counsel of teammate Stefon Diggs — coincidentally, his favorite pro football player.

Williams, a Maryland native, revealed to reporters on Saturday that he has been a fan of Diggs since the latter played his college football at the University of Maryland. As such, the 22-year-old has been eager to learn all he can from the two-time All-Pro.

“It’s been a blessing. That’s my favorite receiver,” Williams said. “When he was coming out of Maryland, I remember it was a highlight video. I just kept watching it every day, and I was like, look at us today. He was just different. He was crafty. I mean, something about him just stuck out to me.”

Selected at number 69 overall in April’s draft, Williams has been widely praised for his speed, athleticism and explosive play-making ability on the football field. In theory, he should provide the Pats’ offense with a big-play threat who is capable of stretching the field.

Williams’ confidence is clearly supported by his impressive resume. Having split his collegiate career between Nevada and Washington State, he played in 50 career games – 25 for the University of Nevada from 2020-22 and 25 for Washington State from 2023-24. During that span, he amassed 248 receptions for 3,608 yards and 29 touchdowns. He added 17 rushing attempts for 87 yards. In 2024, Williams started all 13 games and led team with 70 catches for 1,198 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Still, Williams stats demonstrate only a portion of his potential. Perhaps best known for his speed and ability to separate from his defender, he is also an adept route-runner. As such, he possesses the skill to start-and-stop at the beginning of his stride to make defensive backs and coverage linebackers miss in all areas of the field.

At his best, Williams is quite capable of turning a short-spaced route into a high-yardage touchdown. In fact, the former Buckeye has already turned in a handful of impressive catches, much to the excitement of Patriots Nation. Ironically, his best trait may just be the one he most closely shares with Diggs.

Diggs and the Patriots reached agreement on a three-year, $69 million deal — including $26 million guaranteed — in March. When healthy, he immediately upgrades the Patriots’ current pass catching group. His sure hands, ability to accelerate and precision route-running provide the team with a talent which has eluded them in recent seasons.

With Diggs and Williams in the fold, quarterback Drake Maye now has weapons which allow him to make plays on multiple types of throws. In the process, both mentor and protege may be in position to help add a new dimension to New England’s offense in short order.