Drafting Mykel Williams was always going to be a gamble for the San Francisco 49ers. After one year, it hasn't quite paid off. The defensive lineman missed half of his rookie year due to injury, but he struggled when healthy.
Williams' year-one disappointment already has fans and analysts wondering whether the Niners made a mistake. In The Athletic's redraft of the 2025 first round, Nick Baumgardner had the defender falling all the way out of the top 32.
Instead, he paired Travis Hunter (another early disappointment) with San Francisco. The swap may not have changed San Francisco's fortunes in 2025, but it sure would be electric.
49ers swap Mykel Williams for Travis Hunter in new 2025 NFL redraft
Leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft, Williams was billed as a dominant run defender with the physical tools to become a quality pass rusher. While he was expected to make an immediate impact, the 49ers were drawn in by his upside opposite Nick Bosa.
One year into his NFL career, he's already being labeled as a bust. Of course, it's still too early to give up on the former Georgia Bulldog, but his performance as a rookie wasn't encouraging. In nine games, he recorded just 18 total tackles and one sack. He wasn't as formidable against the run as expected, earning a run defense grade of 57.8 from PFF.
Hunter, who Baumgardner paired with the 49ers at pick No. 11, wasn't a smash hit either. Without a clear role in his first season with the Jacksonville Jaguars, he struggled to find his footing. Still, there's no denying the talent that the former Heisman winner possesses.
After sending Hunter to the Niners in his redraft, Baumgardner said, "I’m certainly not out on Hunter, though I don’t love how the Jaguars deployed him last year. He needs to get comfortable on one side of the ball first and add more from there. One step at a time."
The dynamic two-way star could make a major impact for the 49ers. He would help solve two major needs remaining on the current roster. While he had a relatively disappointing rookie campaign, San Francisco would likely swap him in for Williams in a heartbeat.
Williams could still become a star for the 49ers. He was always going to be a developmental prospect to some extent, so it shouldn't be shocking that he's taking time to develop. But after his rookie year, a pivot to a player of Hunter's caliber would be difficult to pass up on.
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