49ers’ brass relieved top pick Mykel Williams fell out of top 10

SANTA CLARA On the eve of his ninth NFL Draft as the ers coach Kyle Shanahan confided in his wife Mandy and their three kids about his ideal pick I explained them Mykel but I don t think he s going to be there Shanahan reported the media Thursday night My wife calls me this morning and says she read a mock draft where he was going th and she was worried we were dead wrong about everything We had a good idea he was going earlier Defensive end Mykel Williams went No overall to a ers defense desperately seeking help more of which will come via the unit s remaing picks rover the draft s final two days General manager John Lynch proven he was so antsy to pursue Williams that he attempted to exchange up with an unnamed squad stating We tried and thank god they took someone else because he was still there Only one defensive end went in the top Abdul Carter to the New York Giants at No overall Williams became the second much to his delight after making what he considered a sincere connection with the ers during an April pre-draft visit He came through on a visit and we really got a feel for the kid and all of that led us to him being a Niner Lynch stated after reeling off every compliment imaginable about a first-round defensive end He fits who we are and we pounced when he was there Added Shanahan We stuck there and waited for our guy and we got the guy we required Williams was also a demanded man by the two men who ll more directly coach him defensive coordinator Robert Saleh and defensive line coach Kris Kocurek the latter of whom stated Lynch that Williams was the best edge setter in college football last season That element is key for a defense that got uncharacteristically gashed in the run encounter last season leading to their - finish That s the premise and hallmark in what we want from an edge guy He does it extremely well Lynch stated He plays outside can come inside in the sub-rush packages and rush over guards The goal now is to turn Williams loose on a defensive front that is still anchored by Nick Bosa but certainly requirements another dynamic pass rusher Related Articles ers spend first-round draft pick on defensive end Mykel Williams NFL Draft will determine if Robert Saleh can work miracles with ers defense NFL Draft ers must find quality starters to get that edge back after roster purge The ers first-round draft pick should be their easiest ers mailbag Here is my starting to open boom-or-bust NFL Draft Added Lynch He has a lot of upside He can rush with power He s a good enough athlete where he has various wiggle He s extremely proficient when they run games For as big of an athlete he s got a really good stop start and when a quarterback changes directions he can do that really well He s got a lot of attributes and he has to put them all together It s awesome when you see a guy the more you watch him the better he gets Shanahan mentioned When you see how he uses his length and arms that doesn t jump off the tape right away When Nick was at Ohio State you don t appreciate him the first time you watch him but the more you watch you realize how much of a ninja he is with his hand placement That is how Mykel grows on you too I knew he was good but he s a lot better than I thought To have that versatility it can help us a lot and to be physical in the run guy that s what the guy we ve hoped for for a while Williams is giddy over the prospect of playing under Saleh and alongside Bosa among others After my April visit I felt we had a great connection I connected well with the whole staff It went great Williams explained We talked ball we toured the facility I ended up here so it s a blessing I m excited to play for Coach Saleh and play in his scheme Williams added He lets the front do what the front does which is rush set edges and play the run I m excited to play with the great players I ll be with like Nick Bosa I can t wait