The defense was one of the best parts of the San Francisco 49ers in 2024. The team was a top-10 defensive unit, giving up just over 300 yards per game. A not-so-surprising stat when you keep in mind that the team has one of the best, if not the best, linebackers in the game in Fred Warner. The defense is also anchored by one of the best defensive ends in the league, Nick Bosa.
With cornerback Deommodore Lenoir and versatile EDGE player Leonard Floyd, the 49ers' defense was filled with Pro Bowl-caliber defensive players. Yet, the defensive line was overhauled. Floyd left to join the Atlanta Falcons, while the team also lost defensive tackles Maliek Collins
and Javon Hargrave.
While not every loss was a major one, the 49ers knew that their defensive line was among the weaker aspects of the team heading into the 2025 NFL Draft. So much so that the team ended up drafting two defensive linemen in back-to-back picks, taking DE Mykel Williams 11th overall, and then taking DT Alfred Collins 43rd overall.
Mykel Williams Can Be the Biggest Difference Maker at 49ers Training Camp
Clearly, this was done to bolster the defensive line, fortify the units behind them, and give this vaunted unit some more youth and power up front. It's why Williams, the team's big rookie get this offseason, is the one player who could really make things go off during training camp. With Bosa in the prime of his career and in need of someone to help draw double-teams, if Williams can come in and have a good camp, then the hype around this defense may reach new highs.
A good defense can win you a game, but a great defense can win you a Super Bowl. Williams doesn't have to come in and be Bosa or Warner or anyone else, but if he can prove to be a player worth game-planning against, then everything will click so much easier for the 49ers.
Bosa won't have as many double teams, Warner will go unblocked more often due to the need to game plan for both Bosa and Williams. Cornerbacks like Lenoir won't have to defend receivers for nearly as long, as the pocket will collapse faster with two good ends causing chaos. All of a sudden, the 49ers go from one of the best defenses in the league to the best defense in the league.
And all that needs to happen is that Williams proves himself early and often in camp. An easy thing to ask for, but not always easy to deliver upon.