One 49er was listed as a top five potential bust of the NFC
Draft grades and projections are in full swing following the completion of the NFL Draft. Analysts, amateur and professional alike are pushing out draft grades fast and furious to return to their predictions for a potential victory lap on draft prospects. Let’s face it: Very few, if any, analysts revisit wrong predictions but will highlight their victories only.
Manzano listed Mykel Williams at number three, citing his lack of upside at pick 11.
The 49ers have struggled to find a productive No. 2 edge rusher to complement Nick Bosa. It’s tough to assess whether San Francisco finally found the right player to hold down the role for many years to come partly because Williams didn’t have the breakout junior season many expected him to have at Georgia due to a nagging ankle injury.
Still, Williams displayed plenty of toughness and leaned on his superior strength to shed off blockers and create pressure. But the No. 11 pick might not have the same upside as the edge rushers who went after him. Walker is more polished and has positional versatility. Pearce is considered to be the best athlete among the edge rushers in this class. Shemar Stewart, the Cincinnati Bengals’ No. 17 selection, is another boom-or-bust prospect, but he’s just as strong as Williams and might offer more in terms of athleticism. If Williams can develop more tools and rely more on skills to break free, then adding the Georgia product to this list could look silly by next draft season.
Williams’s injury is important to note in 2024, but it is interesting to highlight Stewart, who has zero production in college, and Pearce, who was dogged with character concerns, over Mykel, who offers a safe floor with upside as a pass rusher.
Unfortunately, all these prospects will be compared for the duration of their careers. The nature of the draft cycle is to compare available players at the time of a team’s selection. Is it fair? No, but it will happen.