Latest news with #MykelWilliams
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
One 49ers defensive-line rookie stands out as pads go on at NFL training camp
One 49ers defensive-line rookie stands out as pads go on at NFL training camp originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area SANTA CLARA — On Monday as the pads went on at training camp, the 49ers saw their first glimpse of what the team's defensive-line rookies might have to offer. Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins and C.J. West all took part in 1-on-1s and faced off with various offensive linemen. It was clear very early on what drew the scouting department and coaching staff to the three rookies. Williams visibly looks twitchier than most, quicker off the line and, at 6-foot-5 and 267 pounds, obviously looks the part of an NFL player. Even 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is impressed. 'Just look at him, right?' Saleh said Monday. 'He's very powerful. He's got great hands. He's got great leverage. He has great flexibility to go inside and out. He's unique in that regard, which we knew and which is why we were so excited to go get him. Every day he's just going to get better and prove that he belongs.' Williams didn't win all of his 1-on-1 reps, but it seems it only will be a matter of time before he's more comfortable coming from the outside. In team drills, when lined up on the inside, the first-round 2025 NFL Draft pick often got into the backfield towards whomever was under center, and he took several reps with the 'first-team' defense. Collins is even more noticeable on the field than Williams, with the same height and 65 additional pounds on his frame. With his size, the second-round pick will need to learn to maintain a lower center of gravity to create leverage against offensive linemen, but Collins' bull-rush still still apparent in 1-on-1s. West was the rookie who stood out the most in 1-on-1s Not only did he win all of his reps, but he seemed to lift 6-foot-5, 313-pound Dominick Puni off the ground at the point of contact. At 6-foot-1 and 316 pounds, West is solid and already knows how to use leverage to give himself an advantage. 'He's like a little fire hydrant, right?' Saleh said. 'But, he's powerful. He's got heavy hands. He's going to be fine. He's like a lot of rookies — there are so many things that they're learning, especially on the interior of the D-line where it's a game within a game.' While West was exemplary facing one lineman at a time, he did not generate as much push during team drills, but that will come with the assistance of defensive line coach Kris Kocurek as well as Saleh. There also are several examples for the young players to follow in Nick Bosa and newcomer Bryce Huff, who both stood out in team drills and got into the back field several times. The 49ers will reconvene on the field Tuesday for another practice before their day off on Wednesday.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Future Hall of Famer explains why it 'sucks' practicing against 49ers' top draft pick
It's difficult to get a gauge on rookies just two days into training camp, but future Hall of Fame left tackle Trent Williams provided a ton of optimism on San Francisco 49ers first-round pick Mykel Williams. The former spoke with media after Thursday's practice and was asked about going up against the team's rookie defensive end. That pair has already matched up together in practice and the 37-year-old Williams has not enjoyed going up against his first-year counterpart. "Kel's a huge dude, man," Trent Williams told reporters. "You usually don't see guys that size on the edge. It sucks having to base block guys with arms as long as your legs. But I think he has a chance to be a really good player in the NFL. I think he has a chance to be dominant. He has the best coach in the league pushing him. Gets to learn from some of the best guys in the league to learn from, obviously Nick (Bosa). So I'm happy to see how he'll turn out. I think he's got all the tools to be an All-Pro." There are still a ton of boxes to check for Mykel Williams on his path to becoming an impact player on the 49ers' defense. That his physical traits are so evident before pads come in is a good sign though, and the elder Williams heaping so much praise on a rookie without never facing him in pads is a strong reason for optimism. Continuing to check boxes once the pads are on and the reps are more real will be key for the rookie. For now though, the returns make it easy to see why the 49ers are so excited about their first-round article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers draft pick Mykel Williams gets high praise from Trent Williams
New York Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
49ers' big — and big-bodied — rookie D-lineman draw a crowd at training camp
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The main draw at the San Francisco 49ers' first day of training camp seemed to be the defensive line, perhaps because it featured all three big-bodied draft picks for the first time this year. Alfred Collins was on hand. The second-round pick missed the spring sessions with a calf injury but stood out on Wednesday due to his massive size. Despite his 6-foot-5, 332-pound frame, the 49ers envision him utilizing his speed and explosion in the three-technique spot Javon Hargrave played the last two seasons. Collins lined up there with the second-team unit on Wednesday. Advertisement Mykel Williams was back on the field, too, after missing a portion of the spring with a hamstring strain. The team's first-round pick mostly played defensive end with the first team, though he moved inside to defensive tackle on obvious passing downs. 'He has a big reach,' Nick Bosa said of Williams. 'So I just think he needs to hone in — obviously it's his first day — on his aiming points and trusting the system. I think him and Alfred are coming from different styles. But both of them have immense talent. So it should be pretty fun to watch them.' Along with fourth-round pick C.J. West, the rookies helped create an impressive visual that prompted the team's top scout, vice president of player personnel Tariq Ahmad, as well as assistant head coach Gus Bradley to stroll over and watch the defensive line go through individual drills. The only lineman who wasn't present was Yetur Gross-Matos, who's recovering from a knee issue. 'I like the group. I think they have a lot of talent,' Bosa said. 'I think when you look at them, you see NFL bodies out there that look impressive, which is a good thing.' A year ago, Bosa had two linemates — Hargrave and Leonard Floyd — who were in their 30s and another, Maliek Collins, who was 29. Now Bosa, 27, is the elder statesman of the group. 'Obviously we're young,' he said. 'But just because nobody knows them now, if they play good a couple of games, then the whole world knows them. So it's pretty exciting.' For the first time this year, all three #49ers d-line draft picks — Mykel Williams (98), Alfred Collins (95) and CJ West (99) were together at practice. — Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) July 23, 2025 • There was one injury coming out of Day 1. Receiver Jacob Cowing, who was coming off a strong spring, pulled a hamstring early on and did not continue. Meanwhile, fellow second-year receiver Ricky Pearsall (hamstring) worked out on a side field, including catching passes. Kyle Shanahan said Pearsall, who was injured in the spring, has hit all the speed parameters required for him to return to practice and that the team is being cautious. He expects Pearsall back for Sunday's practice. Advertisement As was the case in the spring, tackle Trent Williams took part in individual drills but not team situations. Spencer Burford filled in at left tackle. Shanahan said the team has various practice plans for players who are on the older side, like Williams, or for players like Christian McCaffrey who are coming off injury-plagued seasons. McCaffrey also went through individual drills but gave way to Isaac Guerendo in 11-on-11 situations. 7⃣1⃣ 😤 — San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) July 23, 2025 • The most prolific receivers on Wednesday: veterans Jauan Jennings and Demarcus Robinson. As expected, Jennings was on the field for the start of the session and practiced throughout. Which is to say, he's not engaging in the sort of 'hold-in' Brandon Aiyuk waged last year when he was seeking a contract extension. Jennings caught three passes, including one in heavy traffic from Brock Purdy. Robinson, meanwhile, also caught three passes — two from Purdy and one from backup Mac Jones. • The 49ers' offense began team drills with a surprise, a corner-route throw from Purdy to George Kittle that resulted in a long gain down the right sideline. Kittle later said the play is designed to go to Jennings. But when cornerback Deommodore Lenoir dropped Kittle in coverage, it became a wide-open throw to the tight end. Safety Ji'Ayir Brown had to force Kittle out of bounds after a long gain. 'Shout out to Demo for dropping me,' Kittle said while pointing skyward. 'Thank you, Demo!' • Ji'Ayir Brown was back in the starting lineup after missing OTAs due to an ankle procedure. He paired with Jason Pinnock at safety with the first-team defense. Pinnock, who looked good in the spring, had a diving interception when Purdy's deep-ball attempt was batted at the line, creating a pop-fly situation. Meanwhile, fifth-round pick Marques Sigle, who was an observer during the spring, lined up with the second-team group alongside Richie Grant. Advertisement • Linebacker Dee Winters picked up where he left off in the spring when he was one of the most impressive players on the field. Winters, who will try to hold off rookie Nick Martin for the weakside linebacker role, broke on a short pass from Purdy, intercepted it and was off to the races. Winters is easily the team's fastest linebacker, and his speed has been far more noticeable this year as his confidence has grown. 'I think the quarterback just missed (Winters),' Shanahan said. 'He was right in the zone reading his eyes, and he got right under it. The quarterback should have turned it down, but got a little bit aggressive with it.' • Two rookies took snaps with the first-team defense. Mykel Williams lined up at defensive end while third-round pick Upton Stout got occasional snaps at nickel cornerback with the top group. Stout is competing with veteran Tre Brown to be the team's No. 3 cornerback this year. Brown, Stout, Chase Lucas and undrafted rookie Jakob Robinson played nickel cornerback at various points in practice. Shanahan noted that Stout nearly intercepted Jones at the sideline on a pass that instead turned into a catch for Russell Gage Jr. 'He almost made a hell of a play today,' Shanahan said of Stout. 'I thought he had a pick-six, just mistimed it and actually gave up the completion. But it was really good coverage. But I was real excited with him in OTAs and he is one of the guys where I think he's got a chance to compete to help us throughout this training camp and into the season.' • Special teams coordinator Brant Boyer added a little spice to the 49ers' kicking competition. Instead of having Jake Moody and Greg Joseph kick on separate days like they did in the spring, he had them alternate attempts during a special teams session on Wednesday. Both made all four kicks, which became progressively longer. Shanahan said he's been pleased with the competition so far, noting that there was only one field-goal miss — by Moody — during the spring. The competition caught the eyes of even the non-special teamers. Advertisement 'I actually am paying attention, I can't lie,' Bosa said. 'It's exciting.' • The 49ers practiced on their newly configured fields, which now run east and west instead of the north-south setup they've had for decades. Because the team took out its artificial surface field, the new main practice field stretches 165 yards with a permanent goal post on one end. A second field to the south is a little less than 100 yards. Shanahan said the new configuration will take some getting used to. 'It was the first time it was different for me in nine years, so I felt nauseous out there,' he said. 'I was dizzy the whole time. We're creatures of habit. I've stood in the same place (in the past). I didn't know where to go today. But we'll get used to it. We could rotate it. The cool thing is it's the first time we got a full 120-yard field and got our first field goal (posts) in there that's stationary. So a lot more room, which is nicer, but it's a work in progress. I'm trying to not change everything after one day, so we're going to give it three days and see what to do next.' Here's a glimpse at the 49ers' new east-west practice field configuration. One field is 165 yards long. The other is just shy of 100 yards. — Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) July 23, 2025 • Guard Ben Bartch (quadriceps) worked out on the side and, like Pearsall, it doesn't appear he'll be out long. Nick Zakelj filled in at left guard with the first-team offense. Rookie Connor Colby was at left guard with the second-team unit. • The players who took turns at kick returner: rookies Jordan Watkins and Junior Bergen, Guerendo and Patrick Taylor Jr. • Newcomer Luke Gifford lined up at strongside linebacker — next to Winters and Fred Warner — with the first-team defense. Martin played the weakside spot with the second teamers. • For the second time this offseason, defensive tackle Evan Anderson changed numbers. Anderson, who was No. 69 as a rookie, was No. 55 in the spring and is now No. 58. He also looks noticeably slimmer than he was a year ago. New #49ers digits for training camp: 3 – WR Malik Knowles3 – K Greg Joseph 7 – WR Equanimeous St. Brown7 – P Thomas Morstead46 – LB Chazz Surratt58 – DT Evan Anderson — Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) July 23, 2025 (Photo of Alfred Collins: Matthew Huang / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How George Kittle is giving Mykel Williams early ‘welcome to the NFL' moment
How George Kittle is giving Mykel Williams early 'welcome to the NFL' moment originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area Programming note: The American Century Championship will air Friday, July 11, from 1-3 p.m. PT on Peacock, and again from 5-7 p.m. PT on GOLF Channel. Saturday, July 12 and Sunday, July 13, the tournament will air locally on NBC Bay Area (KNTV) from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. PT. Advertisement Star 49ers tight end George Kittle thrives in coach Kyle Shanahan's outside zone scheme as a blocker, and first-round draft pick Mykel Williams might have to learn that the hard way in practice this season. Kittle detailed his early interactions with Williams during San Francisco's offseason so far, and it's clear things could get interesting between the two teammates during training camp later this month — all in good fun, of course. 'I get to run outside zone against Mykel Williams, and so that's going to be really fun because he was telling me how he thinks it's disrespectful for tight ends to block him,' Kittle told NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco at the American Century Championship on Thursday in South Lake Tahoe. 'And I was like, welcome to the NFL baby. You're going to see something different on these practices, I promise you that.' Advertisement Kittle's PFF run block grade of 84.5 is the best for NFL tight ends over the last seven seasons, and the All-Pro could put together a feature-length film of his viral pancake blocks over the years. Kittle even has admitted to laughing after tossing an opponent onto their back. 'Whether you're taking their soul, they just made a highlight reel clip, and you never want to be on a highlight reel clip,' Kittle told reporters in 2021. 'So I kind of laugh about the fact that they just made a highlight reel clip. So thanks.' Kittle is an all-around talent as a blocker and pass-catcher, and Williams certainly will learn quickly that the 49ers do things differently when it comes to outside zone. Advertisement Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast
USA Today
07-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
49er news: DROY candidate, potential big contract and more for Cardinals fans
We check in with the Cardinals' NFC West rival 49ers to see what has been going on recently. We have reached the end of another week in the NFL offseason, so it is time to see what has been going on with the Arizona Cardinals' NFC West rivals — the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks. What is new as we await the start of training camps later this month? Below are a few stories from the last week that Cardinals fans should know about the 49ers. Mykel Williams is top DROY candidate The 49ers' top pick in the 2025 NFL draft was EDGE Mykel Williams. He was named the 49ers' top candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Starting RT playing for big raise Colton McKivitz, the 49ers' starting right tackle, enters the final year of his contract after signing a one-year extension last year. A good year could set him up to get a huge deal in free agency next offseason. Interest in FA CB The Niners have had to make changes at cornerback Charvarius Ward departed in free agency. So did Isaac Yiadom and Rock Ya-Sin. They have shown recent interest in former first-round pick Damon Arnette. Day 3 rookie surprising in offseason program The offseason program ended last month, but one 49ers writer believes that one of their late-round rookies was the team's biggest offseason surprise. He named receiver Jordan Watkins, selected in the fourth round this year. Roster breakdown The Niners start camp later this month. Here is a look at their roster, broken down by position. Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
