Could the San Francisco 49ers be in need of yet another edge rusher? If what rookie, Mykel Williams, is saying is true, then the franchise may need to bring in some more reinforcements. 49ers insider, Grant Cohn, recently reported that after the draft, Williams expressed his desire to play on the interior of the defensive line in certain situations, which could force the 49ers to bring another edge rusher for depth.
While known for being an exterior defensive lineman who goes after the quarterback from the edge, where he is expected to complement Nick Bosa, Williams wants to show off his versatility as best he can. Throughout the draft process leading up to his selection by the team, Williams continually talked about his desire to line up in the defensive tackle spot– predominantly on third downs.
Breaking Down Mykel Williams’ Role
As Cohn stated, the 49ers drafted Williams with an idea of how they would use him, but did not have a crystal clear vision. But as time went on, and the 49ers honed in on drafting him, that Williams was more than just an exterior rusher– he could make plays and be a factor from the inside as well. Via Sports Illustrated writer, Albert Breer, Cohn talked about what the 49ers and their coaching staff learned about Williams during the pre-draft process.
“Once they got into the draft process, and involved their coaches, things only ramped up on San Francisco’s affection for Williams,” Cohn wrote about what Breer said. “Defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, after watching him, called Williams the best edge-setter in college football. When Lynch and Kyle Shanahan sat him down on his 30 visit and asked him, third down in the Super Bowl, where do you want us to line you up, his answer was, ‘over the guard’ — illustrating his versatility, and the tough-guy nature to his game apparent in how he played through the injury.”
If all that is true, then the 49ers may have found themselves a gem and a foundational player for the defense for years to come.
What This Could Mean for This Season
In what has been a massive offseason exodus, the 49ers were left with many holes to fill, especially on the defensive side of the ball. And while Williams fills a major need– finding someone to complement Bosa, if his versatility is what he says it is then his value may have just increased. One of the positions that the 49ers will see new faces is at defensive tackle, with both Javon Hargrave and Maliek Collins gone.
But if Williams can help fill that void on occasion, then the 49ers may be able to take the pressure off of some of their other rookies. Drafting Texas defensive tackle, Alfred Collins, in the second round and Indiana defensive tackle, CJ West, in the fourth round, the expectation is that both of those guys will have big roles right out of the gate. But if Williams can slide in and wreak havoc, the pressure for the later round picks to step up immediately is eased considerably.
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