The 49ers drafted Mykel Williams 11th overall with the expectation that — while he had work to do to improve as a pass rusher — he would instantly improve their run defense.
Williams might not be immediately jumping off the screen week on week but, as the 49ers head into their Week 8 meeting with the Houston Texans, it is clear he is living up to expectations.
There have been flashes of promise for Williams rushing the passer, even though he has just one sack through seven games, with his most encouraging
reps unsurprisingly coming when the Niners have lined him up as an interior rusher.
In run defense, though, Williams has shone, showing the ability to set the edge, dominate tight ends and violently disengage from blocks.
The numbers around Williams’ play against the run make for pleasant reading.
Per Pro Football Focus, he has eight run stops that resulted in a negative play for the offense. That number is tied 10th among all edge defenders with at least 50 run defense snaps. Williams is tied 29th with a run stop rate of 8.0%.
Williams’ eight run stops lead all rookies, while his run stop rate is fourth among rookies with at least run defense snaps.
Perhaps the most impressive statistic, however, is Williams’ average depth of tackle, which is minus 0.1 yards.
In other words, when Williams finds the ball-carrier, he consistently does so at or behind the line of scrimmage, with opposing offensive linemen struggling to move him off the ball.
Williams has made a significant contribution to a run defense that ranks eighth in the NFL in EPA per play.
Against the Texans, what the 49ers need is for Williams to go beyond simply aiding the run defense and make a more tangible difference as a pass rusher.
San Francisco is severely depleted on the D-Line, with Bryce Huff joining the lengthy injury list with a hamstring injury and the versatile Yetur Gross-Matos still sidelined.
It appears increasingly likely the 49ers will strike a trade for more edge rush help to take some of the burden off Huff in the absence of Nick Bosa.
But, this week, facing a Houston offensive line that was dominated by the Seattle Seahawks on Monday.
Williams is second on the team with 14 pressures, but his pass rush win rate of 8.3% pales in comparison to the likes of Gross-Matos (23.4%), Huff (19.5%) and the impressive Sam Okuayinonu (12.1%).
Okuayinonu had a win rate of 18.5% in last week’s win over the Atlanta Falcons, but the 49ers can’t simply rely on him to get pressure on a quarterback in C.J. Stroud who has struggled mightily under duress.
With a favorable matchup, this is a clear chance for Williams to take over the game as a pass rusher. He has met expectations to this point with his play against the run, now is the time for him to start surpassing them with a disruptive performance that helps the 49ers improve to 6-2.
