Mykel Williams

Mykel DeAnthony Williams (born June 29, 2004) is an American professional football defensive end for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, winning a national championship in 2022. Williams was selected by the 49ers in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft.

Early life Williams was born on June 29, 2004, in Warm Springs, Georgia, later attending Hardaway High School in nearby Columbus. After his senior season, he was named the Maxwell Football National High School Defensive Player of the Year. A five star prospect, Williams was ranked by 247Sports as the fourth-best recruit in the 2022 recruiting class.

College career Williams initially committed to USC, but flipped to Georgia in October 2021. He was the highest-rated recruit signed by defending national champion Georgia in the 2022 recruiting cycle. In July 2022, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said of Williams: "The number one thing that stands out about Mykel is his work ethic.... I'm excited for him... He's a great young man." and ESPN rated him as a preseason true freshman All-American. He played in Georgia's 2022 season opener against No.11 Oregon and registered two quarterback hurries. At the end of the season, he was named to Pro Football Focus's PFF True Freshman All-America team.

Williams' number at Georgia was #13.

Professional career On January6, 2025, Williams declared for the 2025 NFL draft.

Williams was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round with the 11th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. On May 14, Williams signed with the 49ers on a four-year deal worth $24.943 million. He started all nine games he appeared in, recording one fumble recovery, one sack, and 20 combined tackles. In Week 9 against the New York Giants, Williams suffered a season-ending torn ACL in his right knee. On November 8, 2025, Williams was placed on injured reserve.

NFL career statistics YearTeamGamesTacklesInterceptionsFumbles GP GS Cmb Solo Ast TfL Sck Sfty Int Yds Lng TD PD FF FR Yds TD2025 SF 9 9 20 11 9 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0Career 9 9 20 11 9 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0