Directors of Player Personnel Explain Why 49ers Love Mykel Williams

"When people have that type of movement, power and acceleration, those things stand out."

Jul 16, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Georgia defensive lineman Mykel Williams speaking at Omni Dallas Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Brett Patzke-Imagn Images | Brett Patzke-Imagn Images

When the draft ended, the 49ers brought out Directors of Player Personnel Tariq Ahmad and RJ Gillen as well as Director of Scouting and Football Operations Josh Williams to answer the media's questions.

Here's what they said about the 49ers' first-round pick, defensive end Mykel Williams.

GILLEN: "I think we were all extremely high on him from the very beginning. It started in the summer.

AHMAD: "I would say last summer. I loved watching this guy in the summer. I loved watching him in the fall. Disappointed by the ankle injury but we loved the way he played through it. Loved his practice habits. When every scout went there, he still practiced through that injury. That really stood out to us."

WILLIAMS: "I saw him in training camp. And then I was at the Ole Miss-Georga game, and pre-game, that's probably when I really realized that this guy has an NFL body, he's made of the right stuff, he's serious. He just looked like a guy who would wear our uniform and represent us the right way. He executes his job at a high level, whether it's setting an edge in the run game, opening up lanes for other guys in the pass game and also beating blocks himself -- he plays at a high level. He showed up in big games and he just was an unselfish teammate."

AHMAD: "He stands out right away. He does jump off the tape with the way he can dominate people, his physical ability. When people have that type of movement, power and acceleration, those things stand out."

GILLEN: "He's also a young player, hasn't even turned 21 years old yet and he was productive as a true freshman on an extremely-talented Georgia team. That went a long way for me, watching his freshman and sophomore year, a young freshman standing out on an extremely-talented Georgia team."