2025 Re-Draft is Eye-Opening for 49ers First-Round Pick

Was Mykel Williams the right selection?

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

While the San Francisco 49ers are defending their 2026 NFL Draft to the fans, the 2025 NFL Draft is being put under the microscope as well. In a recent 2025 re-draft, the 49ers would have gone a completely different direction that may raise some eyebrows.

What should the San Francisco 49ers have done in the 2026 NFL draft?

Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic recently did a 2025 re-draft. He had a majority of the top ten picks being similar or in a slightly different order, but he had a big curveball for the 49ers. In this edition, he had Travis Hunter falling and the 49ers being the team to take him.

Hunter falling makes sense when you consider he missed a lot of his rookie year, and when he did play, he was just average at both receiver and cornerback. His role is still a major question, and he is not as intriguing as he was a year ago. Still, it is hard to see him falling much further, and the 49ers would enjoy his talent.

Jaxon Dart and Nick Emmanwori were the only players in the top ten who did not go that high in the real draft. Hunter fell to 11, and Ashton Jeanty fell to pick 20.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The more notable discussion is with Mykel Williams. Williams was not selected at all in these 32 picks. That comes off a bit harsh.

Yes, Williams did not have a productive rookie season, but he lost the majority of his year to an ACL injury. Hunter fell because of his injury, but only to 11. Williams would certainly not go 11th based on what happened in his rookie season, but falling all the way out of the top 32 is far. That would make it the biggest drop from any of the top picks.

Another interesting note is that there were no other edge rushers in the top 32 as well. So, the 49ers may have taken the next best edge rusher with Williams; Baumgardner just did not view any of them as worthy of the pick.

If Hunter did not fall, the name to watch was Grey Zabel, who went 16th. He was viewed as a fit for the 49ers, but San Francisco took Williams. Seattle took Zabel, who has been a trusted starter for them. One other option would have been Derrick Harmon, who was viewed as a fit. He went 21st in this re-draft.