Jalon Walker was widely seen as a strong first-round fit for the San Francisco 49ers in the 2025 NFL Draft. The former Georgia standout offered intriguing versatility, potentially addressing two key needs. He could line up alongside Fred Warner to form a dominant linebacker duo or contribute as a pass-rushing edge on obvious passing downs, complementing Nick Bosa.
However, during pre-draft evaluations, the 49ers ultimately favored one of Walker's Georgia teammates—defensive end Mykel Williams, whom they selected with the 11th overall pick.
ESPN's Adam Rittenberg spoke to several college football sources about how NFL teams addressed their needs during the draft. One coach who faced Georgia last season admitted he believed Walker, picked 15th overall by the Atlanta Falcons, was the better overall player.
"But there's some position curiosity around Walker, an SEC assistant noted, and how he'll be used in the NFL," Rittenberg added.
Williams is viewed as a more natural edge rusher at 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds—someone who can develop into a full-time, every-down presence and draw attention away from Bosa. One college football source said the 49ers' interest made perfect sense, especially considering the example set by the reigning Super Bowl champions.
"The 49ers are used to playing big guys up front," a Georgia source said. "That's what makes the Eagles defense so good, because they kept everything condensed in the box. The 49ers were doing the same thing before and now with [defensive coordinator Robert Saleh] back, they'll take the same approach with guys like Mykel."
Williams recorded 14 sacks over three seasons at Georgia, including a career-high five in 2024. He was also reliable against the run, earning Pro Football Focus run defense grades of 80.3 or higher in each of the past two seasons. As a unit, the 49ers defense earned a 54.6 run defense grade last season, ranking 28th in the NFL.
San Francisco made it a priority to revamp its defensive line through the draft. In addition to Williams, the team selected defensive tackles Alfred Collins (Texas, Round 2) and CJ West (Indiana, Round 4).
The 49ers drafted former Oklahoma State standout Nick Martin in the third round to address the linebacker position. Martin notched six sacks during his last full season in 2023 (he missed seven games in 2024 due to a knee injury), bringing some pass-rushing upside of his own. It remains to be seen how Saleh plans to deploy his new linebacker corps in 2025.