The New Orleans Saints don’t have a lack of needs for this offseason. The roster needs a makeover, and that could include taking some risky swings early in this year’s NFL Draft.
Mykel Williams is an intriguing name that has buzz around the league for his potential as a pass rusher at the pro level.
Mykel Williams injury update
The former Georgia Bulldogs pass rusher is widely expected to go in round one. His production doesn’t pop off the page from 2024, but he explained a big reason why during his media availability at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Williams said that he played at 60% this past season for Georgia. He dealt with a nagging ankle injury.
You can tell that Williams was a bit bummed out to have dealt with such a nagging injury. That being said, he seems hopeful that he can prove he’s healthy at his Pro Day ahead of round one.
Saints’ need at pass rusher
Cameron Jordan was an inconsistent piece on the DL last season. He’s nearing an age for retirement, and the young pieces around him haven’t shown too much.
Carl Granderson has been the most productive pass rusher for the Saints in recent years, but his ceiling is certainly capped. Outside of those two, depth names fill that room.
Meanwhile, Williams provide upside that doesn’t come around too often off the edge. His stature and speed blend could turn him into an elite pass rusher at the NFL level if he stays healthy.
Addressing the defensive line will be important for the Saints during this year’s draft, whether it is in round one or not. It is simply a must after their struggles a season ago.
Williams is a talented edge rusher with rare physical traits. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury in the opening game against Clemson and played through pain for the remainder of the season. When healthy, he has a dynamic get-off and can win early from the edge or when he’s reduced inside. He has extremely long arms and blockers struggle to get to his chest. He has a nasty shake/bull move and he also flashes a violent swipe move to generate pressure. Against the run, he still found a way to set a physical edge even when he couldn’t put much weight on one leg because of his injury. His effort never wavered. Overall, the 2024 tape isn’t a fair representation of Williams’ talent. He has game-changing tools when healthy and locked in.
For Williams, his range is seemingly quite large. Some mocks have him as high as 7th overall. Others have him going in the late 20s of round one. There is not a consensus quite yet.
His latest health update could foreshadow some more confidence in him as a prospect moving forward, though. We’ll see if he’s on the Saints’ radar by the time April rolls around in the NFL.
