Williams appears to have already earned the trust of Drake Maye, who rifled a deep pass to Williams in New England’s second full team practice Wednesday, but he had it intercepted by Christian Gonzalez. Despite the end result, Maye going to Williams on that type of play is a good sign.

While earning trust is one thing, Williams’ approach is another, and it’s what has caught the attention of veteran Patriots players, including Gonzalez.

“Oh yeah, everyone is competitive at this level,” Gonzalez told reporters, per MassLive’s Marks Daniels. “Everyone is going to come in and especially receivers and (defensive backs), that’s one of the positions you have to be the most competitive at. (Williams is) one of them. He’s going to talk his talk just like every other receiver. He comes in, had his head down, gets to work, you know he’s hungry, ready to go. At this point, that’s all you can ask from him — come in, get to work, and ask questions when needed.”

The Patriots will need more out of Williams this upcoming season than they got out of last year’s rookies Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker. Polk and Baker combined for just 13 receptions and 99 yards.

Williams had a tremendous final collegiate season, ranking fourth in FBS with 14 receiving touchdowns and eighth in receiving yards with 1,198 yards.

Williams certainly won’t have that same type of production in his first season with the Patriots as he adjusts to the NFL. But getting a piece of that will be key in an offense in need of playmakers.

It also would do Williams some good to stand out in an already crowded receiver room this preseason and keep away thoughts from fans that he’ll resemble more of Polk and Baker than a reliable option for Maye.