The Atlanta Falcons need to address their depth at EDGE after finishing second-to-last in sacks and middle of the pack in run defense in 2024. Leonard Floyd and Arnold Ebiketie, their top two pass rushers, are both considered situational pass rushers who primarily play on obvious passing downs rather than being good run defenders who play on early downs. Because of this, the Falcons could select an EDGE rusher in the first round who excels against the run.
The Atlanta Falcons host the top EDGE rusher
According to Mike Garafolo, the Falcons hosted former Georgia Bulldogs 6-foot-5, 260-pound EDGE rusher Mykel Williams for a local visit on Wednesday. Williams is considered one of the best-run defenders and EDGE-rushing prospects in the upcoming draft. Many scouts have mocked him as an early to mid-first-round pick.
On the final day of pre-draft visits, Georgia’s Mykel Williams met with the #Falcons, as he posted on IG. Williams is projected to go mid-first round, with Atlanta in need of edge help sitting at 15. pic.twitter.com/IU1BRKh46n
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) April 16, 2025
He battled a nagging injury in 2024
Mykel Williams battled a nagging ankle injury during his junior year. Williams suffered a Grade 2 left ankle sprain during their season opener, causing him to miss their next two matchups. At the NFL Scouting Combine, he revealed that he aggravated the ankle injury multiple times and was “less than 60%” for most of the season.
Despite battling a nagging injury, Williams was an important contributor on defense, earning him a Second Team All-SEC selection. He recorded 21 tackles, nine TFLs, five sacks, and two forced fumbles in 12 games. He also posted 26 pressures, an 11.1% pass-rush win rate, 11 run stops, and a 7.6% run stop rate.
Here’s Lance Zierlein‘s scouting report
“An upside prospect with loads of traits, Williams simply needs more snaps and more time to fill out his frame. He is an explosive athlete who uses his exceptional length to keep tackles and tight ends at the end of his punch.
“He plays a little too tall at the point and needs to get stronger to shed blocks more quickly, but he plays with good physicality in the trenches and is never pushed around.
“He’s still learning moves and counters but already has a big bull rush, good secondary effort and the closing burst to become a sack blanket in the pocket. He’s not there yet, but Williams’ improvement to become an impactful 4-3 base end feels inevitable.”
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