The speculation for what the San Franciso 49ers will do with the 11th pick in the NFL draft is over.
Georgia defensive end Mykel Williams is the player the 49ers wanted and took at No. 11. He wasn't a player heavily linked to them in mock drafts until recently.
It just goes to show how different a team views a prospect versus mock drafts. So, why did the 49ers believe Williams was the right guy to take at No. 11?
“Everything. The film is very impressive," said John Lynch. "Mykel is a big, good-looking kid in every way. He’s big, he’s tall, he’s long, he’s a great athlete, he’s tough, he’s smart, he’s versatile. He can play outside, he can play inside. He does all those things. I think the toughness, he played through an ankle injury last year and missed two games, but high-ankle sprains can be a tough deal, and to only miss two games and play as well as he did. Came through here on a 30 visit and really got a feel for the kid. And I just think all of that led us to this guy as a Niner. He fits who we are, our culture, and we pounced when he was there.”
With Williams, the 49ers see an immediate impact player with a ton of potential. He is a player who will improve their bottom-feeding run defense from 2024.
At his pre-draft press conference, Lynch emphasized (and hinted) that they are looking at defensive ends who excel at setting the edge. That way, it keeps runners towards defenders and limits explosives.
Williams does that at a high level, and the 49ers fell in love with that. Or rather, defensive coordinator Robert Saleh fell in love with that. He was a driving force in the 49ers drafting Williams.
It makes sense since Williams' pro-comparison by Pro Football Focus was Jermaine Johnson. Saleh drafted Johnson when he was the head coach of the New York Jets.
The issue with Williams is that his pass-rushing ability is half of what his run-defending ability is. He has a lot to be desired there, but the 49ers aren't concerned with it.
They view his potential there to get better and believe they can develop him into an adequate pass rusher. For now, they are happy with what he can do against the run.
"I see a guy that’s really hard to block in the run game and the pass game," said Kyle Shanahan. "Hard to block for tackles, hard to block for guards. And I think it’s really cool when you think about college football now, half these guys coming out, I see the majority almost seem 24, 25, and we’ve got a 20-year-old who looks like a man on tape.
"But to look like a man on tape as a 20-year-old when you’re going against 25-year-olds, I think is a big difference."
