The Bucs have their eyes set on another pass rusher out of the SEC. According to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, Tampa Bay has already hosted Georgia edge rusher Mykel Williams on a top 30 visit as he makes the rounds with several teams.
Along with the Bucs, Williams has already met with the Patriots, Jets, Cowboys and NFC South division rival Saints. He’s currently on a west coast swing where he visited the 49ers on Monday and Seahawks on Tuesday with plans to meet up with the Cardinals the following day.
This is the third outside linebacker that Tampa Bay along with the UCLA’s Femi Oladejo and Nic Scourton from Texas A&M. Williams and Scourton each reside from the SEC, while Williams is the first Georgia Bulldog that the Bucs have met with in Tampa Bay this year.
Mykel Williams Provides More Power To The Bucs
Georgia edge rusher Mykel Williams – Photo by: USA Today
Mykel Williams is a very physical and powerful edge defender coming from a great Georgia defense that has a reputation of producing impact players in the NFL. He has a very high motor and is considered an excellent run-stopping defender, showing his commitment to all areas of the game.
While Williams has the ability to out-muscle an offensive tackle going up against him, he does not have the best overall pass rushing win-rate, coming in at 11 percent per Pro Football Focus. Williams has great club-rip when going to the inside and exceptional arm length, but still needs to add more pass rushing moves. Many see his game being similar to what Bucs outside linebacker Yaya Diaby or Chris Braswell has provided to the team.
Although he did not perform in any drills at the NFL Scouting Combine, Williams measured in with a height of 6-foot-5 and weighing 260 pounds. He recorded 67 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 14 sacks and three forced fumbles in 40 games and three seasons at Georgia. In his final season, he had a career-best five sacks to go with nine tackles for loss and two forced fumbles in 12 games.
Bucs Drafting Another OLB Is Still Possible
Georgia edge rusher Mykel Williams – Photo by: USA Today
Drafting another edge rusher is still on the table for the Bucs in the first round. They have a cushion with Yaya Diaby and Haason Reddick at outside linebacker, but that shouldn’t stop Tampa Bay from drafting another edge rusher especially with Reddick on a one-year deal.
As much as Tampa Bay wouldn’t want to stunt the growth of Chris Braswell, they also need to find out the future of the team’s pass rush. The possibility of Reddick being in Tampa Bay for one season is high, so if Braswell doesn’t cut it, the Bucs are back to the same situation they were in before those players joined the team.
Because Williams is a good all-around player, the Bucs can trust him to defend the run well while also continuing to develop his overall pass rushing game. There’s risk in have another edge rusher with similar traits such as Braswell, but a first-round talent coming from Georgia can be difficult to overlook for a defense that is looking for much more production from its front four this season.
Check out Pewter Report’s Official 30 Visit Tracker to see every 2025 draft prospect that has met with Tampa Bay on a visit thus far.
