The San Francisco 49ers were in the bottom-half of the NFL in sack percentage in 2024, bringing down opposing quarterbacks on just 6.69% of their dropbacks (18th).
After the season, San Francisco lost top edge rusher Leonard Floyd in free agency, as the former first-round pick landed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons.
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With that knowledge, the 49ers needed to improve their pass rush ahead of 2025, and the first step they took in that quest was selecting Mykel Williams in the first round of this year’s NFL draft. They followed that up by acquiring veteran edge rusher Bryce Huff in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles for a conditional 2026 fifth-round pick that could become a fourth.
While some have been skeptical about Williams’ future in the NFL, Huff has already been impressed by what he’s seen from the rookie this offseason.
“He’s a unit. I’m not gonna lie to you,” Huff said in a recent interview with Brad Graham. “I saw him training this morning [Tuesday] and I said: ‘Yeah he’s gonna wreak some havoc in this front for sure.’”
Williams, 21, earned All-SEC honors twice and won a national championship in his three seasons at Georgia while appearing in 40 games and recording 67 tackles (23 for a loss), 14 sacks, four passes defensed, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
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In 2025, Williams is joining Huff and Nick Bosa to form a pass-rushing trio that could produce better results than the 49ers saw from Bosa and Floyd last season. If they are able to get to the quarterback more frequently, Robert Saleh’s unit could help the team crawl out of the basement of the NFC West and back into a playoff spot.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers’ Bryce Huff says Mykel Williams will ‘wreak havoc’ in the NFL