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Should you draft Kyle Williams or Jack Bech in 2025 dynasty fantasy football rookie drafts? John J breaks down fantasy football outlooks and landing spots for the two rookie receivers.
The 2025 NFL Draft has now come and gone. Those of us who like dynasty fantasy football, and especially those of us die-hards (or people who work in the industry) (don't worry, I followed it all year before I started working for RotoBaller), have already spent plenty of time pontificating who to select in rookie drafts.
Both Jack Bech (Las Vegas Raiders) and Kyle Williams (New England Patriots) were drafted in the second round by their respective teams. So we know they were both highly regarded by the squads that drafted them. Generally, draft capital inside the first few rounds is excellent for skill-position players.
But how they will perform in the NFL is another question. Predicting this isn't easy without plenty of tape study and research into the situations the players are landing in. Luckily, that's what you have me for. Part of my job in the industry is researching WAY too much on rookies. With that, let's dive in!
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Should You Draft Kyle Williams?
Yes. The crux of the argument always revolves around upside vs. draft capital. It's important to pay close attention to receivers who are in the cheaper portions of the class. You're paying nowhere near what you'd pay for someone like Tetairoa McMillan, yet the upside argument for Williams is quite compelling.
It is also important to try to evaluate players in a manner that isn't biased based on their non-ideal situation. Williams did not have good quarterback play in college. While he put up an impressive stat line (1,198 yards and 14 touchdowns), his current market is colder than you'd expect.
This Kyle Williams rep at the Senior Bowl is just filthy man
Cooks the defender TWICE on the same route..
1,196 Yards and 14 TD’s this year btw
92nd Percentile 40 Time (4.40) ain’t bad
..and now he gets paired with Drake Maye
Kyle Williams is coming for that WR1 role in NE pic.twitter.com/N8RIlp3jZX
— Austin Abbott (@AustinAbbottFF) May 9, 2025
Part of evaluating players in a non-situation-dependent manner is trying to see how they did at the Senior Bowl. Thank the heavens we have the Senior Bowl, because it's actually a fantastic evaluation tool for players. The one-on-one reps are especially important. Williams didn't run many traditional routes in college, but he seems to be highly capable of doing so.
What's most impressive about Williams is his combination of release package/get-off from the line of scrimmage and his abilities after the catch. In combination, they're pretty absurd. Williams is also going to a situation, in New England, where he has virtually ZERO target competition.
I look forward to watching Kyle Williams blow past defenders. Patriots finally did it man pic.twitter.com/gjxxCMGyKm
— TCL (@TitleTalkTCL) April 27, 2025
I agree with the above poster that the Patriots finally drafted a good receiver. It took them long enough, but it happened. Williams was an ideal pick for the Pats because he can immediately play outside.
He'll complement the recovering-from-injury Stefon Diggs, who should play more in the slot, like he did last season, much with the Houston Texans. Williams will presumably be tied to quarterback Drake Maye for most of his career now, and that's an excellent quarterback from whom to catch passes.
While most believe that Maye is unproven, I'd argue that we need to evaluate players independently (if possible) of the team they played on. Maye had zero talent at receiver and on the offensive line last year. That's already changed, as the Pats have revitalized the offensive line.
One of my favorite throws from Drake Maye’s 2024 campaign.
• Zach Wilson’s career was arguably derailed by his rumored case of the “yips.” Whatever the opposite of that is…Drake Maye has it. He’ll stand in the pocket & get crushed if it means making the play. Simply loves ball pic.twitter.com/O3cbpW70Eo
— Daniel Rotman (@daniel_rotman15) May 10, 2025
Even with poor offensive line play, Maye was willing to stand stall and firm and deliver rockets right before getting obliterated by defenders. So the OL doesn't have to be some great unit for this to work out. Maye was part of a stacked quarterback class, and if he was the best QB drafted in 2024, I wouldn't be surprised.
Williams needs to work on areas of his game, but considering how good he already is, these aren't a huge concern to me. I think he'll be a fantastic player to have for years to come, and I expect him to break out in Year 1.
Should You Draft Jack Bech?
The short answer, like with Williams, is yes. Bech doesn't have elite athleticism. In fact, his speed and acceleration are below average for a receiver. However, he's a polished and refined route-runner, and the comparison to Los Angeles Rams star wideout Puka Nacua, first brought to my attention by film analyst Brett Whitefield, isn't crazy.
Thanks Brett.
Jack Bech was @BGWhitefield's WR4, comp'd to Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp
Tre Tucker ranked 5th in routes run last year (599). Implying if Bech can be just league-average in YPRR (1.62), the expectation should be ~970 receiving yards if that usage sticks
— Scott Barrett (@ScottBarrettDFB) April 26, 2025
Whitefield's comparison has been parroted all across social media recently. Credit to him for being bold. Bech's most significant similarity to Nacua is his abilities at the catch point and after the catch. Like Nacua, Bech is ridiculously talented at snagging tough passes in traffic and has some serious fight in him after the catch.
And to the point that Scott Barrett makes above, the Raiders have a significant role waiting for him. Bech should immediately be a mostly full-time player. How much he's used out wide vs in the slot remains to be seen, but there's a huge need on that team for another competent WR.
3 minutes of #Raiders 2nd round pick WR Jack Bech
Is he the steal of the draft? 🤯🏴☠️👀 pic.twitter.com/60fzEwffBO
— ShifftttyyyQB1🏴☠️ (@raiders1022) April 27, 2025
Bech is a warrior on the field in every sense of the term. His physical presence is impressive, and he willingly bulls over defenders as much as possible. He's tough to get down. However, the most important thing about this aspect of his game is how he fights for every catch as much as possible.
He'll immediately step into an offense that just got a massive upgrade at quarterback. Geno Smith, one of the most underrated QBs in the league, will be throwing passes to him. He won't have to worry about defenses constantly double-covering him -- the presence of tight end Brock Bowers will take care of that.
I'm not sure what role he'll have with Jakobi Meyers. He's a good WR in his own right, and he's still on the team. However, the target competition is already priced into his ADP, and value matters most. Bech already has a great opportunity ahead of him.
Raiders WR Jack Bech talks to the media after day 1 of Rookie minicamp ☠️🏴☠️ pic.twitter.com/NFe50BrRsz
— ShifftttyyyQB1🏴☠️ (@raiders1022) May 9, 2025
Bech's attitude is also fantastic. I do hope that at some point, if the offense starts neglecting him a bit, he fights for more opportunities to get the ball. I'm a little less optimistic about his Year 1 volume than I am for Williams. I wouldn't be surprised if there are games where his target volume disappoints.
Meyers and Bowers, unlike an injured Diggs (for Williams), present a solid competition for Bech's targets. If the Raiders, who drafted running back Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 overall pick, implement a run-heavy scheme, the limited passing volume could sometimes become an issue for Bech.
Still, this is dynasty fantasy football, and a lot of things can change even in a three-year window. It's possible the Raiders don't hang on to Meyers for much longer, and we could see Bech become the team's WR1. He's talented enough to do so.
Verdict
You seriously need to draft both of these guys. They're both priced very nicely in rookie drafts, both have serious talent, both should play very well in Year 1, both are in very solid situations (yes, I know the Pats and Raiders have sucked recently), and both have the skills to be excellent receivers for many years.
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