The San Francisco 49ers are in the middle of an identity shift. Coming off a 6-11 season, the 49ers have made plenty of moves this offseason, trading Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders, dealing Jordan Mason to the Minnesota Vikings and even getting into a contract dispute with George Kittle.
All of this has been done in anticipation of Brock Purdy’s next contract, which is expected to exceed an average annual value of $50 million. But it also has shown a commitment to defense as Robert Saleh returns to San Francisco.
Saleh is back for his second stint as the 49ers defensive coordinator after spending four seasons as the head coach of the New York Jets. After helping San Francisco reach the Super Bowl in 2020, Saleh knows what he wants in his defense and Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch obliged by getting him a welcome back gift with their first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
49ers Select Edge Rusher Mykel Williams With 11th Overall Pick in NFL Draft
The 49ers selected Georgia edge rusher Mykel Williams with the 11th overall pick in the draft on Thursday night. A two-year starter for the Bulldogs, Williams racked up five sacks in his final year in Athens and played all over in Kirby Smart’s defense.
With a bag of tools, Williams has the potential to be an impact player in Saleh’s defense and should be a strong complement to fellow star edge rusher Nick Bosa.
One more dawg in The Bay 😤 pic.twitter.com/ZwUCktPeVR
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) April 25, 2025
This is great news for a 49ers defense that lost its punch last year. The Niners ranked in the top 10 in scoring defense including the No. 1 ranking in 2022 but dropped all the way from third in 2023 to 29th last season. While injuries played a key role in San Francisco’s demise, so has turnover on the coaching staff as Steve Wilkes and Nick Sorensen lasted one season each before Saleh’s return.
It’s another sign that the 49ers are leaning on their defense to return to prominence but they should have enough firepower to compete in the NFC West. Assuming Purdy and Kittle work out their contract drama, they should join Christian McCaffrey to form an explosive group along with Brandon Aiyuk, who is recovering from a torn ACL, and rookie Ricky Pearsall, who missed half of last season after he was shot in the chest in August.
If the 49ers can find their swagger defensively, it should mean good things. Selecting Williams is the first step in making that process happen.