San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was already impressed with Georgia defensive end Mykel Williams long before learning the standout defender battled through an ankle injury last season. Once he found out, his admiration only grew.

General manager John Lynch echoed that sentiment, saying, "I think the toughness, he played through an ankle injury last year and missed two games, but high-ankle sprains can be a tough deal, and to only miss two games and play as well as he did [is impressive]."


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Williams addressed the injury himself during a virtual press conference after the 49ers selected him with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He revealed how early the injury occurred and how long he played through it.

"I hurt my ankle like Week 1 last year, and then I ended up playing through it, and I played on it the whole year," Williams said. "That really just wasn't a smart decision at the time. I just wanted to be out there with my guys, so I was playing through a lot of pain."


The good news for the 49ers and their fans is that Williams is fully recovered.

"Right now, I'm 100% healthy, though," he confirmed, "and I've been working out and moving on it like normal."

Williams also expressed his eagerness to join the 49ers' defensive line room, particularly the opportunity to learn from one of the league's elite pass rushers—Nick Bosa.


"I can't wait to get to practice, I ain't gonna lie to you," Williams said. "I can't wait to get to practice. ... I can't wait to learn from him (Bosa). I've got so many questions."

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