When the San Francisco 49ers are at their best, the defense is playing exceptionally.
That wasn’t the case in 2024, and that’s why the team finished with a 6-11 record. The defense gave up 317.4 yards a game, which was eighth in the NFL, and 25.6 points a game, which was near the bottom of the league at 29.
That’s why defense was a clear emphasis in the 2025 Draft, with San Francisco’s first five picks being on the defensive side of the ball.
The first of those five selections was Mykel Williams, whom the Niners selected with the 11th-overall pick. Williams was one of the most talented prospects in the draft class, and that’s expected to show on the field this season. However, the rookie edge defender has been impressing his teammate Nick Bosa for a different reason.
The five-time Pro Bowler spoke with the media on Wednesday and praised Williams’ eagerness to learn. According to Bosa, Williams has demonstrated it at a level that the veteran edge defender has never seen before:
Nick Bosa is already praising first-round pick Mykel Williams
The 49ers sure know how to pick defenders, because star linebacker Fred Warner expressed similar sentiments about third-round linebacker Nick Martin. Warner said that Martin has been asking him questions about every step of the process, showing a true commitment to the craft. This is absolutely the right move from the two rookies, as Warner and Bosa are two of the best players in the league at their respective positions.
Hopefully, Williams and Martin will get there one day as well.
As for Williams, the expectation is that he’ll start on the end of the defensive line opposite of Bosa and he’ll quickly become an impact player. He demonstrated at Georgia that he can rush the passer and get after the quarterback.
With his eagerness to learn, it shouldn’t take him long before he starts to do it in the NFL.
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