Will 49ers Rookie Mykel Williams be a Disappointment?

The 49ers think they got a steal when they took Mykel Williams with the 11th pick in the Draft this year.

May 9, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Mikel Williams (98) works out during the teamís rookie minicamp. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

The 49ers think they got a steal when they took Mykel Williams with the 11th pick in the Draft this year.

That's because he was injured last season at Georgia. He still played, but his performance was compromised, and he didn't put up big numbers. Had he been healthy, he might have gone top five. Instead, he fell to the 49ers.

Unfortunately for them, he's injured again. This time, it's his hamstring, and it forced him to miss half of OTAs and all of mandatory minicamp. Suddenly, he looks like a project who's behind the curve, at least for his rookie season.

That's why Bleacher Report says Williams may be a disappointment.

"The idea of Mykel Williams is far more intriguing than the actual player," writes Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski.

"Entering last season, Williams was a darkhorse candidate to emerge as the No. 1 overall pick, as another former Georgia Bulldog in Travon Walker did three years earlier. Williams never quite reached that level, with the San Francisco 49ers eventually selecting him with this year's 11th overall draft pick.

"Williams switch from an interior defender to full-time edge defender was a driving force behind the lofty projection. It happened to a degree, though the defensive lineman still found himself lined up in an 4i (inside shoulder of the offensive tackle) quite often. His sack numbers didn't dramatically increase, either. To be fair, Williams dealt with a high-ankle sprain that he suffered in Georgia's first game of the 2025 campaign.

"Still, his development as a pass-rusher remains in its early stages."

Sobleski is absolutely correct about Williams. He lacks a go-to move as a pass-rusher and probably will struggle one-on-one against quality NFL offensive tackles early in his career. That's why the 49ers probably will move him to defensive tackle on passing downs -- to match him up against guards. In addition, expect Robert Saleh to free up Williams on stunts, loops and games.

Playing opposite Nick Bosa should give Williams advantageous matchups for the first time in his life. I'm more optimistic about him than Sobleski is.