SANTA CLARA — On the eve of his ninth NFL Draft because the 49ers’ coach, Kyle Shanahan confided in his spouse, Mandy, and their three youngsters about his best decide.
“I told them, ‘Mykel, but I don’t think he’s going to be there,’” Shanahan instructed the media Thursday night time. “My wife calls me this morning and says she read a mock draft where he was going 28th and she was worried we were dead wrong about everything. We had a good idea he was going earlier.”
Defensive finish Mykel Williams went No. 11 general to a 49ers protection desperately in search of assist, extra of which is able to come by way of the group’s 10 remaing picks rover the draft’s remaining two days.
Common supervisor John Lynch confirmed he was so antsy to pursue Williams that he tried to commerce up with an unnamed group, stating: “We tried and thank god they took someone else because he was still there.”
Just one defensive finish went within the prime 10 — Abdul Carter, to the New York Giants at No. 3 general.
Williams turned the second, a lot to his delight after making what he thought of a honest reference to the 49ers throughout an April 7 pre-draft go to.
“He came through on a visit and we really got a feel for the kid and all of that led us to him being a Niner,” Lynch stated after reeling off each praise conceivable a few first-round defensive finish. “He fits who we are and we pounced when he was there.”
Added Shanahan: “We stuck there and waited for our guy, and we got the guy we wanted.”
Williams was additionally a wished man by the 2 males who’ll extra immediately coach him: defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and line of defense coach Kris Kocurek, the latter of whom instructed Lynch that Williams was the perfect edge setter in faculty soccer final season. That ingredient is vital for a protection that acquired uncharacteristically gashed within the run sport final season, resulting in their 6-11 end.
“That’s the premise and hallmark in what we want from an edge guy. He does it extremely well,” Lynch stated. “He plays outside, can come inside in the sub-rush packages and rush over guards.”
The aim now could be to show Williams unfastened on a defensive entrance that’s nonetheless anchored by Nick Bosa however actually wants one other dynamic cross rusher.
Added Lynch: “He has a lot of upside. He can rush with power. He’s a good enough athlete where he has some wiggle. He’s extremely proficient when they run games. For as big of an athlete, he’s got a really good stop/start, and when a quarterback changes directions, he can do that really well. He’s got a lot of attributes and he has to put them all together.”
“It’s awesome when you see a guy the more you watch him, the better he gets,” Shanahan stated. “Once you see how he makes use of his size and arms, that doesn’t bounce off the tape immediately.
“When Nick was at Ohio State, you don’t appreciate him the first time you watch him, but the more you watch, you realize how much of a ninja he is with his hand placement. That is how Mykel grows on you, too. I knew he was good but he’s a lot better than I thought. To have that versatility, it can help us a lot, and to be physical in the run guy, that’s what the guy we’ve hoped for, for a while.”
Williams is giddy over the prospect of taking part in underneath Saleh and alongside Bosa, amongst others.
“After my (April 7) visit, I felt we had a great connection. I connected well with the whole staff. It went great,” Williams stated. “We talked ball, we toured the ability. I ended up right here so it’s a blessing.
“I’m excited to play for Coach Saleh and play in his scheme,” Williams added. “He lets the front do what the front does, which is rush, set edges and play the run. I’m excited to play with the great players I’ll be with like Nick Bosa. I can’t wait.”
Initially Revealed: April 24, 2025 at 8:40 PM PDT
