49ers HC Kyle Shanahan isn't Worried About Mykel Williams' Stats

Williams' sack production should increase on the 49ers.

Aug 31, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Mykel Williams (13) celebrates after a tackle with linebacker Chaz Chambliss (32) against the Clemson Tigers in the third quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Mykel Williams is a good football player. That's clear when you watch him play.

But he's not a freak athlete. He didn't light up the NFL Scouting Combine in February, nor did he light up the stat sheet in college. In three seasons at Georgia, Williams recorded just 14 sacks.

So after the 49ers drafted Williams on Thursday, Shanahan was asked about his meager production.

"I’m not sure of the stats, so I really don’t know," Shanahan said.

"He had 14 sacks," a reporter told him.

“14 sacks?" Shanahan asked. "How many pressures? What was his pressure rate? But that also goes into play, so if someone, if you see something that’s alarming and there are a bunch of stats that match it, it all stacks up. When you watch just the tape and those questions don’t come up, if someone brought it, brings it to your attention and it’s something alarming, I guarantee someone did tell me that. That doesn’t even register that much because that’s not what I see.

"I see a guy that’s really hard to block in the run game and the pass game. 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. And I’m excited to see him in the NFL five years from now when he will only be 25.”

It sounds like the 49ers will move Mykel Williams to defensive tackle on passing downs if he doesn't pan out as a successful edge rusher. That's a concerning contingency plan. But in fairness to Williams, he hasn't failed an edge rusher yet. And he didn't get to pin back his ears and rush from the edge much in college. He lined up inside the offensive tackle frequently.

His sack production should increase on the 49ers.