Your daily San Francisco 49ers news for Friday, April 25th, 2025
Maiocco’s second-round mock draft has 49ers targeting defensive tackle
“They fill a significant void in the middle of their defensive line with Alexander, who excelled at the Senior Bowl.
Alexander (6-foot-4, 305 pounds) has long arms and is plenty athletic. He has the kind of quickness off the snap of the ball that the 49ers covet in their defensive linemen.”
How badly did the 49ers want Mykel Williams? They tried to trade up to get him (paywall)
“He also served as a team captain at Georgia, was one of the 49ers’ 30 pre-draft visitors and got an endorsement from Will Muschamp. The former South Carolina head coach, whom the 49ers used as a resource in drafting Deebo Samuel and Javon Kinlaw, is now with Georgia. He texted Lynch on Thursday evening to underscore the way Williams’ gritted his way through last season’s ankle injury.
The 49ers said that Williams is capable of lining up inside and exploiting favorable matchups against guards the way that Arden Key and Charles Omenihu have done in the past. Mostly, however, they see him as the bookend for Nick Bosa they’ve been seeking since Dee Ford started having injury issues during the 2019 season.
“When you first watched Nick at Ohio State — you didn’t appreciate him the first time you watched him,” Shanahan said. “But the more you watch him you realize how much of a ninja he is with his hands and hand placement and all that stuff. That’s how Mykel grows on you, too. The more you watch him it’s like, ‘I knew he was good. But he’s a lot better than I thought.’”
Why the 49ers drafted Mykel Williams in the first round of the NFL Draft (paywall)
“Williams definitely has the physical tools to help the 49ers in that regard. Now, Saleh and Kocurek must be sure they translate well to the NFL level. Williams’ first in-person impression, which came on a pre-draft visit to the team facility last week, made the 49ers bullish on his future.
Williams is only 20 years old, but Lynch said his visit reminded him of the one star linebacker Fred Warner took back in 2018.
“If [Williams] was nervous, he hid it very well,” Lynch said. “He just seemed very comfortable with who he is, what he wants to be — and that left us very excited … He did a great job letting us know how much football means to him.”
5 Things To Know About 49ers First-Round Pick DE Mykel Williams
“When we have a day off, he’s trying to do a pass rush drill or go to Atlanta to work with a pass-rushing specialist who played in the NFL to try and get better. Normally, that doesn’t go hand-in-hand. Your best player is normally not your hardest worker because they can get by off their athletic ability. But he wants to be great. He wants to be the best. That’s what I love the most about ‘Kel is he is always looking for a way to get better.”
49ers draft edge Mykel Williams: How he fits, pick grade and scouting intel (paywall)
“A consensus top-10 recruit out of high school, he made an immediate impact as a freshman (several key plays vs. Ohio State in the playoffs) and consistently flashed over his career. His junior season wasn’t the true breakout year many expected on the stat sheet, but he set career bests in sacks and tackles for loss, despite dealing with a left ankle sprain that he reinjured ‘multiple times’ during the season.
“Williams has a rare mix of bend and length for a pass rusher and can be a battering ram when he wants to be, but NFL teams want to see him develop finesse and more easily accessible counters in his rush attack. Though there are plenty of examples on tape of Williams maximizing his length and power advantages to push the pocket or set the edge, he needs to do it more consistently for quicker wins and block sheds. Overall, Williams is more toolsy than nuanced and needs to develop a more unified pass-rush plan. The individual traits (length, strength, explosiveness), promising toughness and football character, however, are reasons to bet on his upside. Similar in ways to Jason Pierre-Paul, he projects as an NFL starter on the edge.”
49ers pick Georgia edge rusher Mykel Williams at No. 11 in 2025 NFL Draft
“Williams separated himself with physical tools to go along with his character and leadership. He has the ability to play at several spots along the defensive line, which should be a nice chess piece for defensive coordinator Robert Saleh in his first season back with the 49ers.
Williams had roughly the same measurables as another top defensive end, Texas A&M’s Stewart, but with more production in college. Stewart managed just 4.5 sacks over his three seasons.
Williams (6-foot-5, 260 pounds) has 34 3/8-inch arms and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.77 seconds at his pro day.
He is expected to immediately slot in as a starting defensive end and a three-down player. He has the size and strength to set the edge. Veteran Yetur Gross-Matos has been penciled in as the starting defensive end up to this point in the offseason.”
Lynch reveals 49ers tried trading up from No. 11 to draft Williams
“Coach Kyle Shanahan said he told his wife and kids Wednesday night that he wanted Williams, but he lowered expectations by telling his family that he did not believe Williams would be available when the 49ers picked.
“We had a good idea he was going earlier, but you don’t actually know,” Shanahan said. “So we thought about going up and John definitely attempted for a second.
“They shot him down, so we were ready to watch him go away. We were ready to go to our second and third [options]. But he didn’t go where we thought he was going to go.”
Defensive line coach Kris Kocurek had Williams rated as the best edge-setter in college football, Lynch said. Williams also has a lot of untapped ability as a pass-rusher.”