It is finally official. Just a few short weeks after the NFL Draft concluded, the San Francisco 49ers are among the teams that have started to sign their draft picks to rookie deals, making them an official part of the organization. And on May 15, the 49ers and first round pick, Mykel Williams, agreed to terms on a contract– cementing the 11th overall pick’s status as a 49er. Williams, an active participant in all of the team’s minicamp practices, could play a pivotal role right out of the gate.
The deal is for four years and is worth $24.9 million– including a $14.8 million signing bonus. Per NFL rules regarding first round selections, Williams’ deal is fully guaranteed. The news of the signing was first reported by NBC Sports Bay Area reporter, Matt Maiocco.
The Contract
In addition to Williams’ receiving the four year pact, there is also a fifth year option that will be available prior to the 2029 season. But for now, the 49ers hope that Williams can live up to his status as a first round draft pick and be the complement to Nick Bosa that the franchise has been seeking since Bosa himself was drafted in 2019. The highest drafted 49ers player since 2021, when the team traded three future firsts to select Trey Lance No. 3 overall, Williams will be key in helping the Niners navigate their new era.
As a senior for Georgia last season, Williams logged five sacks and nine tackles for loss– even though he was dealing with an ankle injury for most of the season. Going into the draft, Williams was looked at favorably by most outlets, ranked as high as No. 25 in the entire class by Bleacher Report. One area that had scouts and analysts impressed with Williams is his size and strength– standing at 6-foot-5, 265 pounds and recording 22 reps of 225 bench press at the NFL Combine.
What Does Williams’ Bring?
If all goes according to plan, the 49ers have found a star. While Williams has proven his worth on the edge, being a lethal force for the Bulldogs’ defense during his three seasons there, he is also very versatile, with an ability to line up inside when needed. For a 49ers team that lost a lot of key pieces this offseason and are scrambling to pick up the pieces, having a versatile guy like Williams could be very beneficial to them and give them more options to work with.
But it is his run stopping ability that had 49ers personnel head over heels. Ranked in the bottom half of the league in run defense last season, allowing nearly 125 yards per game, fixing the run defense was priority number one for the franchise.
“The 49ers entered the 2025 draft with a clear mission: fix a run defense that ranked 28th in PFF grade last season,” Pro Football Focus reporter, Dalton Wasserman, said. “And they didn’t just address the issue — they went all in. Of the six defensive players San Francisco selected, five earned run-defense grades of at least 80.0 in 2024, signaling a deliberate and aggressive approach to shoring up one of the roster’s biggest weaknesses. That group includes defensive linemen Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins and CJ West, all of whom bring immediate upside as stout, physical run defenders. With their arrival, the 49ers are betting that a tougher, more disciplined front can help restore the defense to its former dominance.”
-1744853847-q80.webp "Sabres prospect Devon Levi feels ‘lucky’ to earn Budweiser can by holding Alex Ovechkin goalless")
