San Francisco 49ers rookie defensive lineman Mykel Williams, the No. 11 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, has faced growing pains in his first NFL season. So far, the young defender hasn't quite lived up to the lofty expectations fans had for him when he arrived in Santa Clara.

The 49ers drafted Williams to help revive a struggling pass rush, but through eight games, the results have been underwhelming. Williams has registered just one sack across 365 defensive snaps, earning a 52.8 pass-rush grade from Pro Football Focus—ranking eighth among San Francisco's defensive linemen. Only Kalia Davis has posted a lower grade in that category.


As a unit, the 49ers' pass rush continues to struggle. The team has totaled just nine sacks this season. Only the Jacksonville Jaguars have fewer, with eight. In Sunday's loss to the Houston Texans, San Francisco failed to record a sack for the second time this year.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan addressed Williams' development this week, offering an honest assessment of the rookie.

"I think Mykel's just playing a lot of football," Shanahan said. "He's doing stuff outside. He is doing stuff inside. I would love for us to be able to take some plays off of him. We tried too hard last week (against the Texans). With all those guys going down, I think he still ended up getting [53 defensive snaps].

"But just going through this league and all the experience he is doing and fighting through some injuries and fighting through a lot of playing time, I think he's growing a lot."

Despite the lack of production, the 49ers remain optimistic about Williams' long-term potential. The rookie has shown flashes of promise and may be continuing to adjust to the speed and physicality of the NFL.


However, some are unsure that his natural fit is contributing along the edge, which might have been the initial thought when he was drafted.

"He doesn't look like he's got the takeoff you need to win on the edge," NFL analyst Brian Baldinger said this week. "He almost looks like he would be better inside in a three-technique where he can use his size, and length, and his strength better than he does on the outside right now. That's what it looks like to me."

While it's clear that Williams has yet to make the impact that 49ers fans envisioned, his continued growth and versatility in the trenches provide reasons for optimism for the future.

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