The 49ers indeed kept it simple to open their critical 2025 NFL Draft. They selected Georgia defensive end Mykel Williams at No. 11 overall — giving star edge Nick Bosa an immensely talented bookend.
“I can’t wait to learn from him, really,” Williams said on a conference call shortly after being drafted. “I’ve got so many questions.”
The 49ers, on the other hand, didn’t have many questions about Williams as their pick approached. There was no flirting with skill position players. There was simply the promised and pronounced focus on the defensive trenches — which the 49ers must extensively renovate this offseason — and team owner Jed York was quick to highlight the no-nonsense flavor of the day.
Saleh is back in the building ladies and gentlemen #trenches
— Jed York (@JedYork) April 25, 2025
That’s a reference to returning 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who’s obviously a big fan of Williams, a 6-5, 267-pound stalwart who was one of the best edge-setters in this 2025 draft class. Saleh, defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, and the rest of the 49ers’ brass was so intent on nabbing Williams that the 49ers even tried to trade up into the top 10 to get him. General manager John Lynch said the 49ers were rebuffed but thrilled to land Williams anyway at No. 11.
“The film is very impressive,” Lynch said after the pick on Thursday. “Mykel’s a big, good-looking kid in every way. 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.”
Earlier in the week, Lynch had listed characteristics that the 49ers covet in prospective defensive ends — and Williams clearly fit the description.
“You hear us talk a lot about setting edges,” Lynch said Tuesday. “You’ve got to have the ability to set a firm edge. When we’re playing that Wide-9 technique, setting an edge, there’s space. And so, you have to be able to take that space away that is initially there. And so that’s something we covet.
“And then obviously, you take a look at, can they put pressure? Much like a wide receiver who can put pressure on a corner by coming at them threatening with power, and or speed.”
Very notably, Kocurek believes that Williams was the best edge-setter in college football. And, yes, Williams can also rush the passer, although his stats at Georgia were not overwhelming in that category. He finished with 5.0 sacks in 2024, but it should be noted that he played through a high ankle injury suffered in the season opener.
That actually helped sell the 49ers on Williams. They’re impressed with his toughness. Georgia assistant Will Muschamp texted Lynch shortly after the pick, lauding Williams’ grit.
“High ankle sprains can be a tough deal,” Lynch said. “To only miss two games and play as well as he did … He fits who we are, our culture. We pounced when he was there.”
Said 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan: “That says a lot about his character, how tough he can play.”
The 49ers are certainly enamored with Williams’ combination of size and speed. His 34 3/8-inch arm length combined with a 1.61-second 10-yard split of the 40-yard dash makes him ideal moldable clay for Kocurek. The Wide-9 front demands linemen who can efficiently eat up space off the snap. It also calls for premium pass-rushing tools, and Lynch also believes Williams has flashed plentiful potential in that realm.
“I think he’s got a lot of upside,” Lynch said. “His skillset is a guy who can rush with power. He’s a good enough athlete where he’s got some wiggle. He’s extremely proficient when they run games (stunt moves where edge rushers twist to attack the interior). He’s a really good stop-start (rusher).”
What a moment for Mykel Williams https://t.co/s1uK09Vzoi
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) April 25, 2025
This marks just the beginning of the 49ers’ much-anticipated defensive line renovation.
“We’ve got 10 more picks, and [Williams] won’t be the only D-linemen,” Lynch said. “We’ve got to keep going. We’ve always talked about: They’re the engine that stirs our defense.”
The exterior defensive line is typically more coveted than the interior because the physical skills it demands for big-time success — a combination of quick-twitch speed and brute power — are more rare. That’s why the 49ers went with Williams to fill the first of many pronounced needs in the front seven.
“I think this guy’s a great core piece moving forward and a great bookend to Bosa, who also has the versatility to play throughout the line,” Lynch said, adding that the 49ers can employ several creative inside-out combinations that also feature edge rusher Yetur Gross-Matos, who now slots as the team’s third defensive end.
When it comes to their next selections, expect the 49ers to continue placing an emphasis on stopping the run. They finished No. 29 in expected points added (EPA) against the run in 2024, an atrocious finish that spurred this reconstruction of the front seven. Williams is now aboard as the first building block in a multifaceted mission — one that’s predicated on toughening up against the ground game.
Williams definitely has the physical tools to help the 49ers in that regard. Now, Saleh and Kocurek must be sure they translate well to the NFL level. Williams’ first in-person impression, which came on a pre-draft visit to the team facility last week, made the 49ers bullish on his future.
Williams is only 20 years old, but Lynch said his visit reminded him of the one star linebacker Fred Warner took back in 2018.
“If [Williams] was nervous, he hid it very well,” Lynch said. “He just seemed very comfortable with who he is, what he wants to be — and that left us very excited … He did a great job letting us know how much football means to him.”