A defensive lineman was desperately needed for the San Francisco 49ers entering the NFL draft.
Their 11th pick had to be for that position. It wasn’t just for need, but because they could also draft one of the better players available.
Sure enough, they did exactly that when they selected Georgia defensive end Mykel Williams at No. 11. The 49ers loved Williams so much that they even tried to trade up for him.
So, what is it about Williams that the 49ers fell in love with so much?
To better understand what the 49ers are getting in Williams, I enlisted the help of the brilliant Brooks Austin, the lead editor of Bulldogs on SI. He is one of the best at covering the Georgia Bulldogs.
“Georgia has been pumping out line of scrimmage players on the defensive side of the football at one of the highest rates in draft history as of late, and perhaps the most fundamentally sound of them all is Mykel Williams. On top of a 6’5, 265 pound frame paired with traits that warranted five-star status out of high school, Williams is an exceptionally polished player that’s started for Georgia from day one.
“Don’t get bogged down in counting stats, this guy got sacks on CJ Stroud off Paris Campbell as a true freshman, and took Kelvin Banks Jr for a ride multiple times against Texas in his final season. When given the opportunity to truly rush, the counting stats are inevitable. The player comp is Jadeveon Clowney for me though. Mykel has chance to be the best run defending EDGE in pro football.”
I wasn’t a big fan of the 49ers drafting Williams, but after the insight Austin provided, I’m starting to get on the bandwagon.
I fully understood why the 49ers took Williams. They needed a player who could help them improve their bottom-feeding run defense immediately. Williams will do that for them in year one.
It’s his pass-rushing ability that has me questioning him, but like Austin said, don’t get too caught up in them. What Austin didn’t mention is that Williams played on an injured ankle last season.
Yet, he still had an impactful season. Just imagine what he will look like when he is healthy. That can unlock his pass-rushing skills, especially since he has Nick Bosa drawing all of the attention.
If Williams can become an efficient pass rusher, the 49ers will have nailed only their second first-round pick under Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch.
