49ers film room: Rookie Mykel Williams pass rush review
Today we take a look at the pass rush talent of Mykel Williams.
There’s pressure on Mykel Williams to make an immediate impact as a rookie (and consequently also on the 49ers to prove that they made the right selection at 11), but not because he enters the NFL as a can’t-miss superstar. He wasn’t the consensus top defensive end in this draft (that distinction belonged to Abdul Carter), nor was he a lock for the top 10.
Yet at No. 11 overall, the San Francisco 49ers saw something in the 6’5", 260-pound Georgia product: a pro-ready technician with the strength, intelligence, and motor to contribute right away.
Williams isn’t a freakish athlete by elite NFL edge-rusher standards, but he doesn’t need to be. His game is built on violent hands, relentless power, and advanced technique, traits that allow him to win even when he’s not the most explosive player on the field, traits that were evident all over his tape on run defense. His style evokes a less athletic Khalil Mack, which, if developed properly, could still make him a high-impact defender for years to come.
The traits mentioned above are the first things that jump off Williams’ tape as a pass rusher. His hand usage is, while not quite polished, is the first thing that stands out here. He keeps blockers at bay with precise, active strikes, and combined with his arm length, rarely allows them to latch onto his frame. Even when he doesn’t win cleanly, he’s constantly adjusting his positioning, using his length and power to reset engagements.
In this play against Florida State, a chip from the tight end slows him just enough for the left tackle to square him up. But Williams doesn’t panic. He works through the tackle’s contact, uses his arm length as leverage against the tackle’s upper body outside, and swims around him, almost coming away with the sack.
His hand strength is another standout trait.
Against Texas here, he widens the left tackle with his initial outside step, then bull rushes him backward with his length and repeatedly two-handed striking the chest. He just simply overpowered the blocker, driving him into the quarterback’s lap.
Georgia deployed Williams all over the line—outside in odd fronts, inside in four-man even fronts, and as a blitzing disruptor. The 49ers should follow suit.
In this 2023 game against Florida, Williams used his speed-to-power rush to beat the Gators interior guard before flattening Graham Mertz in 2.7 seconds for a sack. While his quickness off the edge is solid but not elite, his burst against interior linemen could be devastating. Guards lack the foot speed to mirror him, and if they try to absorb his power, he’ll bull-rush them into the pocket.
But his real value comes when he works laterally. With a subtle stutter-step, he times his rush to slip past crashing linemen, turning himself into a 260-pound missile before the QB can react. NFL blockers will challenge him more, but his ability to shrink his frame mid-rush makes him tough to redirect.
Williams’ swim move is a thing of beauty—especially inside. He doesn’t just rely on speed; he sets up blockers with power, then slips past them with sharp handwork. On one rep, he bounces off a guard, locks onto the center’s chest, and swims past him before the QB even feels pressure.
He may never be a pure speed rusher racking up 15 sacks a year, but his bull-rush and interior counters could make him a consistent 8-12 sack player.
Williams draws a triple team here and yet somehow pushes the left side of the pocket enough to bat the pass down. He lowered his shoulder into the contact from the initial double team, eventually just using his power to drive the blockers backwards.
Williams’ effort is also non-negotiable, and this play is evidence of that. In two games against Texas in 2024, Williams recorded four of his five sacks. And he did it with high effort, high motor.
Texas is running shotgun play action and simulating pistol counter run action to the left. The pullers both get a piece of Williams, who keeps working inside to the quarterback. It looks as though there might have been some confusion or a miscommunication by the blockers as to who was supposed to block Williams but this didn’t deter him with the quarterback in his sights.
Area for Improvement - Pass Rush Counters
Williams possesses elite speed and power moves and swim attacks but he does not possess a dependable spin move and hesitation technique. Williams faced difficulties during his encounter with Alabama’s right tackle JC Latham because his initial rush was shut down.
In the 2023 SEC Championship Latham used a mirror defense to match Williams' speed while holding his ground against power which resulted in zero sacks. He’ll need to develop a spin counter and improve footwork to string together moves.
Where he fits with the 49ers
Williams possesses both positional adaptability and explosive abilities that align perfectly with the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive scheme emphasis on versatile and athletic front-seven players.
Robert Saleh's foundational wide-9 principles use linemen who create disruptions from different positions and Williams' experience at Georgia playing 5-tech end and 3-tech interior rusher and stand-up outside linebacker fits this system's hybrid requirements.
The clips below show how the 49ers could use him, similar to the plays above, on high leverage passing downs on third down.
The Georgia fronts here are designed to create chaos by drawing attention to slanting rushers and drawing the pass protection to one side while a pass rusher, Williams, loops around the opposite side on an interior stunt. His top-notch burst and ability to bend the edge would excel in the 49ers’ wide-9 fronts since the team relies on vertical leverage from speed rushers like Nick Bosa and now Bryce Huff to attack the tackles.
His versatility aligns with multiple schemes:
- 4-3 Defense: LEO (wide-9) edge rusher fits his role best.
- 3-4 Defense: Outside linebacker and 5-tech end roles could be suitable for him though the 49ers don’t
- Hybrid Fronts: Can rush from anywhere along the front in multiple position groups.
The experience on pass defense, which included shallow zones (8% of snaps at Georgia) also fits the 49ers’ occasional zone-blitz packages which ask ends to disrupt passing lanes.
Williams’ ability to adapt and maintain high motor levels would enable him to participate in 80% of defensive snaps as a rookie in San Francisco's rotation-heavy defense while supporting Bosa and providing unpredictable game plans.
His power-to-speed ratio and hand-fighting polish would make him a seamless plug-and-play weapon in a defense that values linemen who can win one-on-one matchups without sacrificing gap discipline—a perfect marriage of player and system.
Final Thoughts
Mykel Williams is the ultimate product of Georgia's defensive system. The unique physical abilities he possesses together with his continuous drive to better himself positions him to follow in the footsteps of Bulldog legends Roquan Smith and Nakobe Dean. His pass-rush abilities are currently elite but his development of run defense capabilities and counter moves will determine whether he will be an All-Pro or just a starter.
Williams will always be remembered at Georgia as a two-time national champion who raised the standard of excellence for the program. NFL teams can learn from him because he represents the future of defensive playmaking with his ability to destroy opposing team strategies on his own. Williams' professional career has just begun and it is clear that he has not reached his full potential yet.