Mykel Williams, Georgia: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Williams was a five-star recruit from Hardaway High School in Columbus, Ga. in the class of 2022

Georgia pass rusher Mykel Williams has the physical tools to make a massive leap in 2024, but many of the grades heralding him as a top ten pick in the 2025 NFL Draft are baking in a lot of projection. Williams has an NFL-caliber swim move, but he’s still more of a toolsy prospect than a finished product.

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Mykel Williams, Edge Georgia: 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Junior outside linebacker from Columbus, Ga.

Background: Williams was a five-star recruit from Hardaway High School in Columbus, Ga. in the class of 2022. He was the No. 4 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 8 for Rivals, and No. 6 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 24th in the nation with an 88 grade out of 100 (four-star). Williams originally committed to USC before flipping to Georgia. As a high school senior, he amassed 81 total tackles with 57 solo tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, and 12.5 sacks. Williams recorded 69 tackles with 19 tackles for loss and 17 sacks as a junior and 57 tackles with 18 tackles for loss and ten sacks as a sophomore. He was invited to the 2022 All-American Bowl.

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed some of 2023 spring practice with a foot injury that required surgery, missed 2023 UAB game with an illness

Awards: 2022 SEC All-Freshman Football Team, 2022 First Team Freshman All-American (The Athletic), 2023 Second Team All-SEC

Pros: Special teams snaps on the kick return, punt return, and field goal units, rarely penalized, room to fill out lower half, ideal build to develop, arm length should check boxes, covers ground quickly, builds momentum on stunts, uses wide steps to exchange gaps, frequent B-gap counters, inside swim to attack the B-gap, very polished swim move, club-swim, two-handed swipe, cross-chop, limited push-pull move, promising long-arm move, channels power through a long-arm move, strong leg drive, converts speed to power, heavy hands pop occasionally, gets hands up and into passing lanes, good closing burst, quickly redirects to the football on runs and QB scrambles, physical traits will aid continued development as a block shedder, tackle radius

Cons: Averaged fewer than 400 defensive snaps per year in first two seasons, frame is lean – especially lower half, high-hipped, stats buoyed by stunts, inconsistent pad level when rushing, unproductive on true interior rush reps, offers nothing as a pass rusher vs. double teams, rush plan killed by chip blocks, predictable rush plan, unrefined hand usage, lacks counters to revive rush plan, limited polish in his arsenal of pass rush moves, bull rush stalls, needs to figure out the rip move, didn’t put bend on tape much in 2023, stiffness appears to limit bend and upside rushing on the outside, little success generating pressure vs. Missouri’s NFL-caliber tackles (2023), washed out by powerful linemen working vertically, inconsistent anchoring at the point of attack, gets stuck on run blocks, limited tackling power leads to being dragged, not going to offer much in coverage based on limited reps

Overview: Williams has special teams experience on the kick return, punt return, and field goal units. He lines up all over the place for Georgia, including at 5-tech in four, three, and two-point stances, 4-tech and 4i in a three-point stance, and occasionally at 3-tech. Williams has the foundation of an ideal frame for an NFL edge rusher. He’s tall with long arms, good muscle definition, and room to continue filling out his frame. Williams covers ground quickly after releasing from the line. He builds momentum on stunts and uses wide steps to exchange gaps quickly. The junior frequently attacks the B-gap with counters, including an inside swim. His swim move is his most polished move and is already NFL-caliber. Williams also uses club-swims, two-handed swipes, and cross-chops. He has used push-pull and long-arm moves, but those are highly developmental and not moves he deploys consistently. The Georgia native uses his strong leg drive and powerful hands to convert speed to power. His heavy hands occasionally pop and knock linemen off balance. Like many Bulldogs defenders, Williams doesn’t have many career snaps. He averaged under 400 defensive snaps per year in his first two seasons. His frame is still lean, especially in its lower half. Williams is also high-hipped, which contributes to his inconsistent pad level and limits his bend. The former five-star recruit’s pass rushing stats are helped by a heavy dose of stunts, and he is unproductive when lined up along the interior. Outside of the swim, most of Williams’ pass rush moves are still developing and being refined. His rush plan is predictable and can be countered by offensive linemen. Williams’ hand usage is unrefined, and he lacks the counters to revive his rush after getting stuck on a block. His bull rush stalls out, and he hasn’t figured out how to finish reps with a rip move. Stiffness from his build limits how much he bends when rushing around the corner. Williams struggled significantly when facing NFL-caliber tackles in 2023. In the run game, Williams’ closing burst helps him shut plays down quickly. He redirects to the ball on runs and quarterback scrambles and has the physical traits to become a high-end block shedder in the future. He struggles to hold his ground against linemen working vertically and is inconsistent anchoring at the point of attack. Williams is still learning to maximize his physical tools to shed blocks.

Overall, Williams possesses an excellent frame, elite swim move, and intriguing pop in his hands, but he’s still a very raw prospect. His pass rush plan and hand usage have a long way to go before he fully maximizes his length and power. Williams projects as a Day 2 developmental edge rusher who will likely find his way into the first round.

Role & Scheme Fit: Outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme

Round Grade: Second Round

Size: 6'5", 265 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 05-18-24