Chicago Bears NFL Draft Target: Mykel Williams

Jordan Prather - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese - Senior Writer - Sunday, March 23 2025

What to do with the No. 10 overall selection has suddenly become a topic of conversation for the Chicago Bears. What was almost a foregone conclusion that the Bears would focus on an offensive lineman with their first-round pick is suddenly up in the air as the Bears spent a massive amount of resources on the free agent and trade market to shore up their offensive line.

Sure, some added depth could be had, but that can all happen during the second and third wave of free agency, which the Bears have already gone about doing by bringing back Doug Kramer. Knowing all the moving parts the offensive line has already gone through, the door is now left open for the Bears to do whatever they want in the first round, which must be a great feeling.

Sure, if Will Campbell and Kelvin Banks are available, the Bears could still make that pick, as they would be the best player available at that time. You also have to consider guys like Ashton Jeanty as a realistic option, as Ben Johnson loves the two running back set that he had in Detroit.

However, the one area that still needs to be addressed for this team is the additional pass rush help, which Ryan Poles himself indicated he is still looking to address. While some names are left on the free agent market, the Bears could elect to focus on a pass rusher in this year's draft, where former Georgia standout Mykel Williams comes into play.

According to Mel Kiper's latest Mock Draft, Williams is a name to watch in the first round. Some have him going as high as sixth and others as low as 15. The Bears fall right in the middle, so if he is still around at No. 10, don't be surprised to see them make a move to land him. At 6-5 and 265 pounds, Williams is the ideal size for an Edge rusher and has the potential to become an elite star in this league.

However, given how loaded the Bulldogs defense has been the past few seasons, that talent has been overlooked as Williams hasn't been able to unleash what he can truly do on the field. Despite that, he was still an extremely valuable piece for Kirby Smart and that defense and is someone the Bears need to consider.

After registering 4.5 sacks in each of his first two seasons, Williams set a career mark in 2024 as he finished the season with five sacks. He did that while collecting 21 tackles, averaging 23 tackles and roughly five sacks per season. Again, not great numbers, but when you have a defense as talented as Georgia, your numbers may not be what anyone expects. Put him on another team, and he not only leads the team in sacks but would be a double-digit guy, which is what many teams are banking on him becoming.

Regardless of his stats from college, Williams has one of the highest upsides of anyone in this draft and is arguably the most toolsy player in the class. Known as a speed rusher off the Edge, which the Bears can use, Williams has proven to be more than that, as he can beat you with power just as easily as his speed.

As much as everyone wants to point to the low sack totals, Williams missed some time at the start of the season with an ankle injury, so you have to wonder if he was even 100% last season. If he wasn't, he played at a high enough level to make an impact, and now it's about taking that to the next level in the NFL.

At the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Williams’ arms measured 34 3/8 inches, while his hands measured 10 1/4 inches. Throw in what he brings to the table from a skillset, and he does seem to be the perfect player that Dennis Allen likes to deploy in his system. Like Johnson regarding the offense, Allen has a vision for the type of players he wants and what he wants his defense to look like.

Williams is one of those guys who fits that vision as the Bears may look at him as a developmental play aimed with the high-upside and potential. Getting a talented player like him would allow Allen to deploy him in specific instances and will enable him to grow while not throwing the kitchen sink at a rookie. In other words, he would find what Williams is good at and use him in those situations to maximize his production.

It's been a while since the Bears could say they have had multiple pass rushers in one season, but as you have seen this offseason Montez Sweat is getting plenty of help. Williams would be just another piece to plug into the defense to take the pressure off Sweat while finding ways to get the job done.