Mykel Williams Scouting Report
By: Michael Higgins
(Image courtesy John Adams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
School: Georgia
Class: Junior
Position: EDGE
HT: 6’5
WT: 265 lbs
Background: Mykel Williams was a 5-star recruit and a top-10 player in the class of 2022. He was the 2nd ranked DL in the country and the 3rd ranked player in the state of Georgia. Out of Columbus, Georgia, Williams went to Hardaway High School. During his time at Hardaway, he helped lead his team to the state playoffs as a junior and senior. In his junior and senior seasons, he totaled 29.5 sacks. As a senior in 2022, Williams was selected to play in the All-American Bowl. Originally committed to play for USC, Williams flipped his commitment to stay home and play for Georgia.
College: As a freshman in 2022, Williams was named a Freshman All-American. Not to mention, he also contributed to a National Championship for the Georgia Bulldogs. He also managed to have a team high 31 QB hurries that season. In 2023, he was named to the Coaches’ All-SEC 2nd Team. Williams made 10 starts and had 4.5 sacks to lead the team. He became the team’s most potent edge rusher in a hurry. 2024 has only seen Mykel do more of the same despite an injury to begin the season.
Strengths: Mykel Williams is a powerful edge rusher with elite size. His arm length is not just impressive on paper, it is apparent on film and just by looking at him. He uses his length properly and is able to use his length functionally to keep himself out of reach of the offensive lineman’s grip. Mykel Williams is an elite pass rusher with a wide variety of moves in his bag. Due to his size and athletic profile, he has much more at his disposal in terms of what he can do to win a rep. He can line up all over the defensive line depending on the package and rush plan. His long strides and strong upper body allow him to get up in the pads of offensive linemen and knock them back into the pocket.
Weaknesses: Williams has trouble clogging lanes in the run game and can often get twisted out of the play, leaving a wide open gap. This is a big issue when he is asked to play inside as a 3-tech. He struggles to hold his own and clog lanes on his own. As a pass rusher, Williams has inconsistent hand placement. Many times, he either whiffs or place his long arms far too high on the lineman, resulting in a loss of leverage. Williams also has dealt with injuries, which will be a concern to NFL front offices.
Conclusion: Mykel Williams is one of the more intriguing prospects solely based off his measurables. If he can tweak the details of his pass rush, then he can truly be a dominant 5 tech on the edge. His athletic profile and size will help him have an instant impact on any defense with any scheme.
Scheme Fit: Any
Ideal Role: 5 tech
Best Team Fits: TEN, LVR, CLE
Player Comparison: Brian Burns
Player Grade: Round 1 (94.0)
