Mykel Williams Misunderstood by College Football National Media

Georgia football defensive lineman continues to be misunderstood by the national college football media.

Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III (7) is defended by Georgia defensive lineman Mykel Williams / Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY

Georgia football defensive lineman continues to be misunderstood by the national college football media.

Georgia just recently wrapped up yet another impressive draft class and next year's is already looking to have the potential of being an even better. Some of the notable names that will be draft-eligible next year are quarterback Carson Beck, safety Malaki Starks and defensive lineman Mykel Williams. However, despite Williams' promise as an NFL prospect, the national college football media doesn't seem to agree.

Both CBS and ON3 recently released their top 100 player lists in college football and Williams came in at No. 73 on CBS's list and ON3 had him ranked at No. 97. Some mock drafts have the Georgia star projected as a potential top-five pick in the 2025 NFL draft, so where is the misunderstanding?

For starters, Williams doesn't rack up stats like most other big-time players at his position, but that's never been the case for Georgia defensive players. Travon Walker, a former first-overall pick from Georgia, had six sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss and 33 total tackles in his final season at Georgia. Williams in two seasons has racked up nine career sacks with 4.5 in both seasons and 13 tackles for loss which is the same number Walker had in three seasons.

Tennessee EDGE James Pearce has college football analysts raving about him and rightfully so - he ranked 1st and 2nd on the respective player lists. He has stuffed the stat sheet for the Volunteers and has continued to flash on the football field since his arrival, but there continues to be a sizable gap between the two on ranking lists. In reality, there likely isn't that big of a difference in the talent level between both players.

Williams is exceptional against the run coming off the edge for Georgia and can get after the quarterback with the best of them. His lack of praise amongst college football stars likely has to do with his lack of production, but the stat sheet doesn't tell the whole story. He became an immediate contributor for Georgia as a true freshman and has remained a playmaker ever since. He will also be moving to JACK this season for the Bulldogs which is a move from him being a defensive end. It should allow him to put up more numbers that the national media desires from him.

It's not often that there is this big of a difference between college football analysts and NFL analysts, but Williams is starting to fit into that mold. As he heads into his junior season with the Bulldogs, there's no denying that Williams will be a player that fans should keep an eye on and it shouldn't be a surprise when he continues to build off an already successful career.

Other Georgia News:

• Georgia Bulldogs Poised for Deep Run in College Baseball Tournament
• Georgia Bulldogs 2024 NFL Draft Recap
• Ohio State Predicted to Have Defense Comparable to 2021 Georgia

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