49ers rookie finds breakthrough moment in loss to Buccaneers

For the majority of his first five games as a pro, San Francisco 49ers rookie defensive end Mykel Williams has been an impact player but mostly failed to tally numbers on the stat sheet.

That changed in the Niners' 30-19 Week 6 loss versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

True, the potential playoff-preview game at Raymond James Stadium was overshadowed by linebacker Fred Warner's gruesome ankle injury that likely ends his season. But, Warner's absence certainly put even more pressure on a primarily young San Francisco defense to plug the gap.

Williams, the No. 11 overall pick from last April's NFL Draft, felt even more pressure to deliver early in the wake of All-Pro defensive end Nick Bosa's season-ending ACL tear back in Week 3.

Against the Bucs, the rookie seemed to be trending in the right direction with a critical first stat in a key department.

Mykel Williams notches 1st career sack vs. Buccaneers

Despite already showing a prowess for being a pocket-wrecking force, Williams had yet to notch a sack over his first five games.

That changed when he took down Tampa Bay's quarterback, Baker Mayfield, late in the first quarter on a 3rd-and-9 drop-back:

In such a back-and-forth game, and in light of Warner's own injury, Williams delivering his first true signature moment is commendable, and it's that kind of production the 49ers will need in light of how thin their defense is and will continue to be.

The week prior, fellow rookie defensive lineman Alfred Collins had the signature moment in the Niners' primetime victory over the Los Angeles Rams, forcing a goal-line fumble out of the hands of running back Kyren Williams.

While Mykel Williams' sack might not have been a game-changing play in the waning minutes, it's nevertheless a positive indicator of what might be to come.

And San Francisco has been waiting.