One of the reasons the San Francisco 49ers opted not to grab an edge rusher at the very top of their 2026 NFL Draft class was primarily because that player wouldn't exactly be tabbed with an every-down role anytime soon.
Why? The Niners already have such an investment with their 2025 first-round draftee, defensive end Mykel Williams.
It's understandable how Williams became something of a forgotten commodity during the offseason after suffering a torn ACL halfway through the Niners' regular-season campaign a year ago, and the subsequent lack of pass-rushing thump (a league-low 20 sacks) helped make up analysts' minds that a pass-rusher was a top need.
San Francisco ultimately waited until Round 3 to draft a situational pass-rusher in Romello Height.
Height will enter on third downs, while Williams will set the edge against the run on early downs before bumping inside for obvious passing situations where his pass-rushing skills are best utilized.
But, to get to that point, the 49ers need Williams healthy.
And it looks as if he's approaching that point.
Latest Mykel Williams injury update is positive news for 49ers
The Niners just held their rookie minicamp, and Williams was one of the invited players despite being a second-year pro. Thanks to his torn ACL and stunted rookie campaign, it's certainly a bonus to get him back into the building however possible to continue his maturation.
According to Matt Barrows and Vic Tafur of The Athletic, Williams' recovery is moving along nicely, and the team insiders gave a positive update on the defensive end's progress:
While the San Francisco 49ers rookies practiced Friday, Williams was busy on the far north side of the field, doing side-to-side movements and working with resistance bands for 35 minutes before retiring to the team’s weight room.
The defensive end tore his right ACL on Nov. 2 at MetLife Stadium during a win over the New York Giants. General manager John Lynch has said Williams, the 11th pick in 2025, should return to practice at some point during training camp, but that it’s too soon to say whether he’ll be ready for the regular-season opener against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia.
Getting back into actual practices will be vital for Williams' development. And while it's unfortunate that it might not happen until training camp, the suggestion he could possibly be ready in time for the regular season is a positive.
It sure beats a likely midseason return, which was certainly on the table when Williams suffered the injury last November.
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