2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Georgia EDGE Mykel Williams

From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top 10 picks, down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Georgia EDGE Mykel Williams.

No. 13 Mykel Williams/EDGE Georgia – 6-5, 265 pounds (Junior)

Measurements

The Good

– Great athletic ability
– Good play strength
– Good explosiveness when the ball is snapped
– Great aggressiveness
– Strong and secure tackler
– Plays with great gap integrity in run game
– Versatility to line up anywhere on the line
– Great closing speed on ball carrier
– Understands his assignments and executes
– Surfs gaps and covers ground quickly
– Great upper-body strength to hold up blockers
– Strong chop
– Relentless hustle and pursuit
– Bats the ball down well
– Great physicality and craves contact

The Bad

– Not a deep arsenal of pass-rush moves and hardly uses any
– Needs to improve usage rate and technique of pass-rush moves
– If he does not win with a bull rush, he is overpowered by stronger defenders
– Not a game wrecker in the run
– Horrible stamina

Bio

– 16 starts across three seasons and appeared in 39 games
– 2024: 21 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, 5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles
– 2024 second-team All-SEC selection (coaches)
– Led a stout Georgia defense to a second-round CFP appearance
– 2023: 18 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery
– 2023 second-team All-SEC selection (coaches)
– 2022: 28 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, and 4.5 sacks
– First-team freshmen All-American by the Athletic
– Received SEC All-Freshman honors (coaches)
– Was a key contributor to a national championship team
– Five-star prospect out of Hardaway High School by Rivals.com
– Ranked the No. 2 defensive line prospect and No. 3 prospect in Georgia
– Recorded 81 total tackles, 20.5 TFLs, and 12.5 sacks as a senior
– Won the Maxwell Football National High School Defensive Player of the Year
– Also played tight end and along the offensive line
– Flipped his recruitment from USC to Georgia in October 2021

Tape Breakdown

Mykel Williams’ athletic ability is the first thing that jumps off the screen. His explosiveness getting off the ball is paired with his relentless will to win, which results in sacks and TFLs. Being this athletic at 6-5 is nothing to scoff at, and he will continue to work on his frame, depending on where teams will put him. My favorite part about Williams is his versatility to play anywhere on the line. He was primarily used as an edge rusher at Georgia, but it is understandable why teams might want to use him inside. If he is matched up against a slower blocker, his ability to win 1v1s will shine. His athleticism is shown off with his great closing speed and strong vice-grip tackling, as shown here on this play-action sack.

In the run game, Williams will be a defensive coordinator’s dream because of his ability to fit his gaps and understand his role. The gap integrity with which he plays is what every defense needs and is the most underrated part about defending the run. He is also a great tackler and will never let a ball carrier go. He is not a game wrecker by any means but will be a good starter because of the way he fits his gap and spills runners to the outside against a pulling offensive lineman. His upper-body strength allows him to hold blockers up, locate the ball, and shed. He does not make a play on the ball here, but his athleticism paired with his ability to get to his spot within the structure of the front is a glimpse of how he will help teams at the next level.

While defending the pass, Williams is not technical, but he is effective. His bull-rush ability stems from his strong upper body that can push blockers back into the quarterback, and that is how he will win most of his reps. That bull rush will be effective against a weaker blocker, especially if he is lined up at the edge where he can gain some speed before initial contact. When he is losing reps initially, he uses a strong shed to get by blockers due to his strength. On this clip, he is not close to making a play but removes the blocker from the play after getting held up first.

Williams’ strength and aggressiveness will allow him to be a positive pass rusher, especially if he is lined up inside. His pursuit of the quarterback is like a shark hunting a seal; it feels like nothing will stop him. On this play, Williams gets past a pulling guard, breaks through the running back, and hunts down Quinn Ewers on a big play in the SEC Championship Game.

While Williams has a strong chop that he sometimes uses, I worry that he will need to develop his pass-rush ability and stray away from only being able to win with power. He can be seen losing to powerful blockers if his bull rush fails, and the offensive lineman are only going to get stronger. If he continues to use his bull rush most of the time, it will hinder his ceiling as a pass rusher. However, it seems like Williams is a hard worker who wants to continue to improve his game. With good coaching his ceiling as a pass rusher will be raised.

Conclusion

Williams is a safe pick to make if teams want a hard worker who will continue to work on his craft. While he does not specialize in the run or pass, he is very effective in both, and coaches will appreciate the consistency he plays with. He will continue to be of great service in the run game due to his ability to fit his gaps, and he will improve his pass-rush ability to win on the edge if needed. There is no doubt that the strength and athletic ability he possesses is a trait a lot of defenses desire. My comp for him is Chandler Jones.

Projection: Late Day 1
Depot Draft Grade: 8.6 – First Round (Year 1 Quality Starter)
Games Watched: at Alabama (2024), at Texas (2024), vs Texas (2024), vs Notre Dame