On paper, the San Francisco 49ers are a perfect landing spot for defensive end Mykel Williams. He checks all the physical boxes, he’s a good athlete and he comes from a dominant SEC program. That doesn’t mean he’s a perfect prospect without question marks.
The biggest issue facing Williams is his lack of high-end production. He posted 17 sacks and 85 pressures in 773 pass rush snaps across three seasons per Pro Football Focus. Williams’ career-high in pressures, 33, came in his freshman year. His six sacks that season tied a career high he matched in 2024.
While he’s good at setting an edge against the run, he plays too upright at times and is susceptible to being moved off his spot. He’ll also miss tackles in the backfield because his high pad level limits his lateral agility.
If he’s unable to make stops in the backfield and rush the passer consistently, it’s hard to envision Williams having a big-time impact in the NFL.
The good news (we’ll end a better note) is that a lot of his shortcomings are coachable. Better pad level can be taught. Williams also played through an ankle injury in 2024 that may have limited his production some. There’s definite upside with an athlete who has his size and traits, but he brings plenty of question marks with him to San Francisco.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: SF 49ers draft pick Mykel Williams brings some question marks
On paper, the San Francisco 49ers are a perfect landing spot for defensive end Mykel Williams. He checks all the physical boxes, he’s a good athlete and he comes from a dominant SEC program. That doesn’t mean he’s a perfect prospect without question marks.
The biggest issue facing Williams is his lack of high-end production. He posted 17 sacks and 85 pressures in 773 pass rush snaps across three seasons per Pro Football Focus. Williams’ career-high in pressures, 33, came in his freshman year. His six sacks that season tied a career high he matched in 2024.
While he’s good at setting an edge against the run, he plays too upright at times and is susceptible to being moved off his spot. He’ll also miss tackles in the backfield because his high pad level limits his lateral agility.
If he’s unable to make stops in the backfield and rush the passer consistently, it’s hard to envision Williams having a big-time impact in the NFL.
The good news (we’ll end a better note) is that a lot of his shortcomings are coachable. Better pad level can be taught. Williams also played through an ankle injury in 2024 that may have limited his production some. There’s definite upside with an athlete who has his size and traits, but he brings plenty of question marks with him to San Francisco.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: SF 49ers draft pick Mykel Williams brings some question marks
