49ers GM shares process of picking Georgia star Mykel Williams

The San Francisco 49ers selected Georgia Bulldogs Star Mykel Williams with the 11th pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. However, many in the 49ers front office did not think that the defensive end would be available outside the top 10.

Discussing this, 49ers General Manager John Lynch said in a press conference after the first round concluded:

"We were (expecting Mykel Williams to go in the top 10). We were hanging on. Yeah, we thought there were a number of instances where he might go and it just kept, kind of kept watching the deal and it kept, other guys kept showing up. So that was a good thing for us and really, really pleased with adding Mykel to our group."

The 49ers had a right to be concerned about a team grabbing Williams before them. In Daniel Jeremiah's final mock draft, the New Orleans Saints were predicted to pick him up with the ninth spot.

In the end, Mykel Williams was not taken by any of the teams who had a top 10 pick and is a steal for the 49ers. Williams was with the Georgia Bulldogs for the last three seasons and was able to win the national championship in 2022.

During those three years, Williams made 67 tackles and 14 sacks, with three forced fumbles. While this did not make him one of the best defensive players on the Bulldogs roster, his sack count alone makes him a massive threat to any opposition quarterback.

49ers GM on Mykel Williams

After drafting Mykel Williams, 49ers GM John Lynch praised their newest member:

"His skillset is a guy that can rush with power, he is a good enough athlete where he’s got some wiggle. He’s extremely proficient, I think, when they run games. For that big of an athlete, I think he’s a really good stop-start.

"Sometimes those guys can get going, but it’s hard when a quarterback steps up, they can’t change direction. I think he can do that really well. He’s got a lot of attributes. He’s obviously got to come put them all together. But we’re excited to work with him."

In drafting Williams, the 49ers get someone to work alongside Nick Bosa and strengthen a defense that struggled during the 2024 season.

About the author

Ben Tredinnick is a journalist who covers college football and college basketball at Sportskeeda who is currently studying for a masters in Data Science. His degree in Psychology has helped him gain an in-depth understanding of the minds of coaches.

Ben has been involved in sports writing since 2022 and covered the NFL previously. His strengths include providing in-depth profiles of athletes and coaches, with a particular focus on development, and looking at which teams could be in the hunt for today's college stars.

Ben enjoys following college sports more than the NBA or NFL because there is more variation in terms of playstyles. The tournaments are often more competitive than the major leagues, and due to the constant turnover of players, there are rarely any "superteams" in college sports.

He prioritizes research, looks at multiple sources and publications to make sure he gets the full picture of the story before writing. He tries not to write from a one-sided perspective to allow the reader to be able to make their mind up on their own.

A Texas Longhorns fan, as well as a massive New York Giants fan, some of his favorite college players of all time are Arch Manning, Tim Tebow and Reggie Bush.

When he is not working, Ben enjoys watching films (especially Godzilla) and spending time with his cat.

Know More

49ers Fans! Check out the latest San Francisco 49ers Schedule and dive into the 49ers Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by John Maxwell