The San Francisco 49ers have entered the 2026 NFL season with their usual championship expectations, but one glaring question mark looms on the edge of their defensive line: Sophomore pass-rusher Mykel Williams is under immense scrutiny to deliver on his raw potential following a highly disrupted rookie campaign.
Pro Football Focus’ Bradley Locker recently highlighted Williams as a top second-year player facing make-or-break pressure, noting the steep learning curve ahead for the young defender.
Williams was touted as a raw but high-upside prospect coming out of Georgia. The 49ers took a shot on him with the 11th overall pick in 2025 but will need to see much more of the latter.
Williams played only 385 snaps after suffering a torn ACL in Week 9, but the results were generally subpar. His 51.9 PFF pass-rush grade ranked 90th out of 95 qualified edge defenders, as he tallied just 19 pressures on an 8.8% pass-rush win rate. Despite his run-stopping prowess in college, Williams wasn’t dominant in that department either with a 6.2% run stop rate, good for the 51st percentile.
After Bryce Huff’s retirement, the 49ers are counting on Williams to be a legitimate running mate for the returning Nick Bosa. The second-year pass-rusher looms as a big X-factor on a team with continued title intentions, aiming to boost a unit that placed 25th in PFF pass-rushing grade.
The statistical reality of Williams’ rookie season underscores the steep hill he must climb. Apart from his efficiency numbers, Williams finished the year with just one sack, three quarterback hits and 20 combined tackles despite starting all nine games. Add an ACL recovery on top of that, and the 22-year-old’s development might be stunted in 2026.
Worse, San Francisco’s defensive front desperately needs Williams to bounce back. The collective unit struggled heavily when Nick Bosa wasn’t single-handedly carrying the workload, finishing with an uncharacteristic league-worst 20 sacks. Bosa, too, is coming off an ACL injury, which leaves Sam Okuayinonu, Keion White and 2026 rookie Romello Height as the only other edge rushers available for San Francisco this season.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers’ second-year star faces intense pressure in 2026
Reporting by Oliver G., Niners Wire / Niners Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Oliver G., Niners Wire | USA TODAY Network
