The Niners addressed the defensive line with their first round pick on Thursday.
It’s official: the San Francisco 49ers are taking Georgia Bulldogs defensive end Mykel Williams with the No. 11 overall pick.
All week long, the buzz had been around the 49ers focusing on the defensive line, and the board fell that way with the top three offensive tackles, a running back, a wide receiver, and a tight end all going in the Top 10.
At No. 11, San Francisco had a few options along the defensive line, with Williams and fellow Georgia defender Jalon Walker being the top-rated players on the edge, while Ole Miss’s Walter Nolen and Michigan’s Kenneth Grant were there on the interior.
Ultimately, they settled on Williams at No. 11, getting an edge rusher that stands 6’5, 260 pounds with good athleticism and high upside as a 20-year-old prospect.
Here’s what The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had to say about the Georgia defensive end:
“A two-year starter at Georgia, Williams played Jack edge rusher in head coach Kirby Smart’s scheme, aligning all over in the front seven, from three-/five-technique to stand-up outside linebacker. 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.”
Williams had injury issues in 2024 that limited his production, but had strong film in 2023 and is one of the best run defenders in the class on the edge, which is a need for San Francisco.
Additionally, the Georgia defensive end has high upside as a pass-rusher, although he’s regarded as more developmental in that regard, making him a potential three-down player at a premium position.
While the 49ers had a need at defensive tackle, the draft is deep with talent at the position, possibly moving San Francisco off the first-round options and instead looking at defensive ends. That led them to Williams, who should be a bookend starter opposite Bosa over the next few years.
Now, San Francisco absolutely needs to hit with the development here after missing on a few defensive linemen in previous drafts. But, the upside is there for one of the youngest players in the draft.
Given the floor as a run defender, this grade is already good. But, given the developmental questions with the lack of production over the past three years and San Francisco’s struggle to develop the position, I’ll settle for a B… for now.
Grade: B