Mykel Williams
| No. 98 – San Francisco 49ers | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive end |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | June 29, 2004 Warm Springs, Georgia, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Weight: | 260 lb (118 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Hardaway (Columbus, Georgia) |
| College: | Georgia (2022–2024) |
| NFL draft: | 2025: 1st round, 11th pick |
| Career history | |
| |
| Roster status: | Unsigned draft pick |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Mykel DeAnthony Williams (born June 29, 2004) is an American professional football defensive end for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, winning a national championship in 2022. Williams was selected by the 49ers in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft.
Early life
[edit]Williams was born on June 29, 2004, in Warm Springs, Georgia, later attending Hardaway High School in nearby Columbus.[1] After his senior season, he was named the Maxwell Football National High School Defensive Player of the Year.[2] A five star prospect, Williams was ranked by 247Sports as the fourth-best recruit in the 2022 recruiting class.[3][4][5][6]
College career
[edit]Williams initially committed to USC, but flipped to Georgia in October 2021.[7][8] He was the highest-rated recruit signed by defending national champion Georgia in the 2022 recruiting cycle.[9] In July 2022, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said of Williams: "The number one thing that stands out about Mykel is his work ethic. ... I'm excited for him ... He's a great young man."[9]
As a true freshman in 2022, CBS Sports rated him as a "freshman to watch",[10] and ESPN rated him as a preseason true freshman All-American.[11] He played in Georgia's 2022 season opener against No. 11 Oregon and registered two quarterback hurries.[12] At the end of the season, he was named to Pro Football Focus's PFF True Freshman All-America team.[13]
Williams' number at Georgia was #13.
Professional career
[edit]On January 6, 2025, Williams declared for the 2025 NFL draft.[14]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 5+1⁄8 in (1.96 m) |
260 lb (118 kg) |
34+3⁄8 in (0.87 m) |
10+1⁄4 in (0.26 m) | |||||||||
| All values from NFL Combine[15][16] | ||||||||||||
Williams was selected by the San Francisco 49ers with the 11th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.[17]
References
[edit]- ^ Brugler, Dane. "The Beast: 2025 NFL Draft Guide". The Athletic. The New York Times. Retrieved April 24, 2025.
- ^ Austin, Brooks (January 20, 2022). "Mykel Williams Honored As Nation's Top Defender". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "2022 Top Football Recruits". 247Sports. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
- ^ "Mykel Williams". 247Sports. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
- ^ Evan Cromwell (May 18, 2022). "Mykel Williams Touted As Next Big Thing In Athens". SI.com.
- ^ Reno, Harrison (August 29, 2022). ""He's the Spitting Image of Travon Walker," Nolan Smith on Freshmen DE". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ Wells, Adam (October 20, 2021). "5-Star DL Prospect Mykel Williams Flips Commitment from USC to Georgia". Bleacher Report. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ Tom VanHaaren (October 20, 2021). "DE Mykel Williams, No. 50 prospect in Class of 2022, flips commitment from USC to Georgia". ESPN.
- ^ a b Williams, Jonathan (July 21, 2022). "Kirby Smart is "Excited" about Freshman Mykel Williams". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "Mykel Williams is a true freshman to watch out for in 2022". CBS Sports. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
- ^ Jordan D. Hill (August 18, 2022). "Mykel Williams named Preseason True Freshman All-American by ESPN". ESPN.
- ^ Riley, Connor (September 5, 2022). "Why Mykel Williams started in his first career Georgia football game: 'He's going to be very good'". DawgNation. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ Mercogliano, Frank (November 29, 2022). "Haulcy Named PFF True Freshman All-America". University of New Mexico Lobos Athletics. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ Rittenberg, Adam (January 6, 2025). "Georgia's Walker, Williams headed to NFL draft". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
- ^ "Mykel Williams Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
- ^ "Mykel Williams College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
- ^ McDonald, Briana (April 24, 2025). "49ers Select DL Mykel Williams with the No. 11 Pick in the 2025 NFL Draft". 49ers.com. Retrieved April 24, 2025.