High-Ankle Sprain Made Mykel Williams Difficult Evaluation for 49ers

Some teams might have been turned off by Williams' injury, but not the 49ers.

Aug 31, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman Mykel Williams (13) goes off the field with an injury against the Clemson Tigers in the third quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

In Georgia's first game of the 2024 season, Mykel Williams injured his ankle.

The injury was a high-ankle sprain. He missed the next two weeks, then returned and played through nagging pain for the rest of the season, which partially explains why he recorded just 5 sacks as a senior.

Some teams might have been turned off by Williams' injury, but 49ers general manager John Lynch liked the fact that Williams came back so quickly and played on it.

"You don’t like that he had an ankle injury, but you give him a ton of credit," Lynch said after Round 1. "[Georgia Co-Defensive Coordinator] Will Muschamp, Will just texted me and said this guy played, he’s tough as you know what, he just played through an ankle injury the entire year and missed two games. And he’s tough, he’s smart, he’s got huge upside, so all the things we saw. And so, when you see the previous years and all that and he’s doing great now. He just had a pro day just about seven days ago and looked really good and our docs checked him out. It was all good.”

When Lynch finished speaking, Kyle Shanahan added this:

"High ankle sprains, we’ve all dealt with and they’re as nagging of an injury as you can have and most people are out a month with them, but even when you’re out a month, they still linger all year. And so, when you watch his tape, and I watched it before, I kind of see everyone, especially the top guys. And then I get in there and I hear some of this stuff and I liked him not knowing that. And then you hear that stuff and you’re like, all right, that says a lot about his character, how tough he can play, that he only missed two games because of it. But also the fact, I know he is not healthy either all the time because I know how much high ankle sprains linger and so when you see that and knowing he’s playing through that, I look at all that as a huge bonus."

The 49ers value toughness and Williams seems to have it. We'll see if he truly will be more productive in the NFL when healthy.