The San Francisco 49ers are banking on the 2025 NFL draft paying off in a big way.

San Francisco went heavy on defense to start the draft, selecting five straight defensive players to begin its drafting. That included talented edge rusher Mykel Williams out of Georgia with the No. 11 overall pick.

On Tuesday, 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh shared some of his early impressions of Williams’ work in San Francisco training camp.

“Mykel, obviously it’s hard to see in there, but his pass rush on the inside’s been fantastic,” Saleh said.

The media contingent asked what Williams possesses that makes him an effective interior pass rusher.

“He’s got great feet. He’s kind of awkward because he’s long, he’s tall. He’s not a traditional three technique. So, he’s got great foot speed, strength, power, and length. He’s shifty. He can get outside his frame. It’s different for guards to go against a guy like him.

“He’s so good with his hands. He’s so good with his feet. He plays with great pad level, he’s got power. So, he’s a three-way player. He can run around you, he can run through you, he can counter, he’s showing all of it off. He still has a long way to go. He’s going to be a good football player in this league. It may not come this year, but you could see it through practice that this kid, once he gets it, it’s going to be special,” Saleh said.

That’s exactly what 49ers fans want to hear about the franchise’s 2025 first-round selection. And San Francisco hopes that Williams can help bolster the 49ers’ pass rush alongside star defensive end Nick Bosa.

Williams has also impressed 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.

“Just watching the style of how he played in college, he’s just technical and stuff. I thought that jumped out on his tape the most, how good he is with his hands. A lot of pass rushers coming out of college who are talented like him and just use their talent, but he’s as good with his hands as anyone I’ve seen coming out. And it’s transferred over to practice too,” Shanahan said.

Williams tallied 67 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, three passes defensed, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery across 40 games in three seasons with the Bulldogs. The 6-foot-5, 267-pound defensive end started 17 games during his Georgia career.

It’s not just Williams either. The 49ers and Saleh love the totality of this rookie class.

“Knock on wood, we love this rookie class. They’re all attacking every moment. Fred spoke pretty candidly about Upton Stout. He’s doing a hell of a job. Alfred’s been getting better every day, getting his legs underneath him, showing some really good progress in the run game. C.J.’s been showing good stuff in the run game…

“Even, Sigle at safety is coming along really strong and doing a really nice job. So just overall as a group, they’re getting better. They’re competing, going against a really precise offense. Our offense has been rolling out for eight years, so the precision at which they operate is pretty damn good. So, they’re getting all they can handle as rookies. It’s as hard as it’s going get for them, going against our offense and all the different things they do, but they’re showing that it’s not too big for them,” Saleh said.

As the 49ers look to rebound from a disappointing 6-11 finish a season ago, the organization is counting upon its rookie class to deliver. The early returns sound promising.