SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — With gaping holes on their defensive line depth chart, the San Francisco 49ers had one major target in mind headed into Thursday night's NFL draft.
As their 11th pick neared and target Mykel Williams still on the board, general manager John Lynch made an attempt to trade up to get his man. That failed, but luckily for the Niners, Williams was still there when it was their time to pick.
“We were hanging on,” Lynch said. “We thought there were a number of instances where he might go and kept watching the deal. Other guys kept showing up so that was a good thing for us. Really, really pleased with that to add Mykel to our group.”
The addition of Williams gives San Francisco the bookend edge rusher across from Nick Bosa that the Niners have been looking for ever since a back injury curtailed Dee Ford's career with the 49ers.
Lynch said Williams' size, athleticism, toughness, versatility and character that showed through on film and during a visit to the team facility earlier this month.
“All of that led us to this guy is a Niner,” Lynch said. “He fits who we are, our culture, and we pounced when he was there.”
The Niners came into the draft with several holes on the roster following a 6-11 season and several departures earlier in the offseason. But the most glaring were on the defensive line after losing Leonard Floyd, Maliek Collins and Javon Hargrave already this offseason.
Lynch said that defensive line coach Kris Kocurek called Williams the best edge setter in college football, which should go a long way in improving a defense that struggled to stop the run at times the past two seasons.
But adding Williams is only a start with San Francisco looking to bolster the interior of the line on the final two days of the draft for coordinator Robert Saleh, who returned to the team after spending the past four seasons as head coach.
“We still need more,” Lynch said. “We’ve got 10 more picks, and he won’t be the only D lineman. We’ve got to keep going. We’ve always talked about they’re kind of the engine that stirs our defense, and we’ve get some work to do. We know that. But I think this guy is a great core piece moving forward, and a great bookend to Bosa.”
Williams has the versatility to play inside and outside and the Niners believe he can be more productive in the pros than in college thanks to their system that allows the defensive line to be more aggressive and the ability to play across from Bosa.
“I can’t wait to learn from him, really," Williams said. “I got so many questions.”
Williams had only five sacks last season as he played through a high ankle sprain suffered in the season opener. Williams said in retrospect that was a bad decision but he didn't want to desert his teammates.
The toughness impressed the Niners, who also believe Williams' youth leaves him with plenty of room to grow. He doesn't turn 21 until June 29.
“We got a 20-year-old who looks like a man on tape,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “But to look like a man on tape as a 20-year-old when you’re going against 25-year-olds, I think’s a big difference. I’m excited to see him in NFL five years from now when he’ll only be 25.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Josh Dubow, The Associated Press
