The San Francisco 49ers knew former Georgia defensive end Mykel Williams had ankle issues when they selected him at No. 11 overall last April in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Williams admirably tried playing through the injury during his final collegiate season, and one can only wonder how potent he might have been if he was at 100 percent.
Nevertheless, being a top-15 pick pretty much suggests his prowess is already high.
That said, Williams' ankle is already turning into a concern for the Niners in the early stages of training camp, albeit a small concern at the moment. According to multiple media outlets, the first-round pass-rusher missed Tuesday's practice because of what was called a "minor" ankle injury.
#49ers DE Mykel Williams not practicing today with what team is calling a “minor ankle” injury.
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) July 29, 2025
WR Ricky Pearsall not participating because of a rest day as he works back in this week.
The nature of the injury (or even if it's the same ankle as the one with which he had an issue in college) isn't yet clear.
But, it's enough to make both San Francisco and the fanbase wince a little bit.
To date, Williams has received nothing but stellar reviews from both coaches and players alike, all pointing to him becoming an immediate-impact player for a revamped 49ers defensive line. While he's already established as a solid run-stopping lineman, if there's one area in which Williams could use some refinement, it's in the pass-rush department.
Missing one day of camp likely won't impact that development much. But, should the Round 1 draftee be sidelined for an extended period of time, not only will that maturation be stunted to a degree, but it'll also cast a much larger shadow on whether or not those ankle issues are of the long-term variety.
Hopefully not. One can hope the Niners are merely being cautious with their top investment from last April.
Because the alternative scenario would be a potential nightmare.