Panthers land long-armed Georgia edge rusher in 2025 NFL draft projection

Georgia's Mykel Williams could be a great fit for Carolina's defensive needs.

ATHENS, GA - SEPTEMBER 07: An injured Georgia Bulldogs defensive linemen Mykel Williams (13) looks on during the college football game between the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles and the Georgia Bulldogs on September 07, 2024, at Sanford Stadium in Athens, GA. / (Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

By now you may have heard that the Carolina Panthers are the worst defensive team ine NFL. If you haven't, you could pull up just about any game from their 2024 season and learn it within about five minutes of film time. Fixing this unit is going to take a lot of work, and it might take more than one offseason (or two) to get it back to even an average level, to say nothing of respectability.

The Panthers have some pieces on the back end of their defense - specifically two and a half solid cornerbacks in Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson and (possibly) Chau Smith-Wade. However, the rest of the position groups all need major overhauls. On the back end they need two new starting safeties. Meanwhile, up front they need an interior run stuffer and a lot more edge rushing firepower.

A new 2025 NFL mock draft from Pro Football Network has Carolina hitting that last hole by taking a chance on a raw but athletic powerhouse on the edge in Georgia's Mykel Williams at number eight overall.

PFN on Mykel Williams to Panthers

"The Panthers started to build some momentum in the final weeks of the regular season, but one hurdle they haven’t been able to clear has been a subpar pass-rushing unit. Luckily for them, the 2025 NFL Draft class seems deep at edge rusher... There’s a lot to like with Mykel Williams and part of that comes before you even turn on the tape. He has a chiseled frame with tremendous length, carrying his weight very well. On the field, he’s still developing his hand usage but possesses impressive athleticism and power that helps him overwhelm opponents."

Williams comes with a wonderful combination of size/frame, checking in at 6-foot-5, 265 pounds with long arms, impressive upper body strength and agility.

Compared to other top edge prospects like Abdul Carter from Penn State, Williams' numbers don't exactly jump out at you. In 40 college games he posted 14 sacks, 23 tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles and four pass breakups.

However, the Panthers will be drafting for traits over raw production at the college level, which can be misleading for a large number of reasons. What matters is Williams has all the physical tools he needs to be a Pro Bowl edge rusher at the next level.

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