Published April 24, 2025 11:26pm EDT
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Mykel Williams #DL73 of Georgia speaks to the media during the 2025 NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on February 26, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
The San Francisco 49ers took Georgia edge rusher Mykel Williams with the 11th pick in the NFL draft.
The Niners came into the draft on Thursday night with several holes on the roster following a 6-11 season and several departures earlier in the offseason.
The backstory:
They opted to target the defensive line first after losing Leonard Floyd, Maliek Collins and Javon Hargrave already this offseason. San Francisco is looking to rebuild the defense through the draft for coordinator Robert Saleh, who returned to the team after spending the past four seasons as head coach of the New York Jets.
With only two defensive linemen going in the top 10, the Niners had a wide selection of choices available at No. 11.
Dig deeper:
Williams is a versatile defensive linemen who is stout against the run with the 49ers hoping he can help improve that aspect of the defense after some struggles the past two seasons. He will team with 2022 AP Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa as bookends on the defensive front.
Williams had five sacks last season for Georgia despite playing through a sprained ankle suffered in the season opener. He had 14 sacks in three seasons for the Bulldogs.
The Source: The Associated Press based this article on the proceedings during the first night of the 2025 NFL Draft.
