Williams projects as a first-round selection in this year’s draft.
The New England Patriots keep adding blue-chip edge prospects to their list of 30 visits. The latest to come to Foxboro to meet with the team is Georgia’s Mykel Williams, a projected first-round selection later this month.
Mike Garafolo of NFL Network was first to report the pre-draft visit.
Williams, 20, spent three seasons at Georgia and appeared in 40 games with 17 starts with 14 sacks and a trio of forced fumbles. His numbers never quite reached the upper echelon of edge defenders in college football, but he consistently made his presence felt even while he — by his own admission — was playing at only 60 percent in 2024.
Combining a 6-foot-5, 260-pound frame with the necessary bend and explosiveness, he has all the tools to develop into a starting-caliber edge at the NFL level. It would therefore not come as a surprise to see Williams come off the board within the first 15 picks in this year’s draft.
The Patriots, who are currently in possession of the fourth overall selection, would likely target him in case of a trade back or a trade up from pick No. 38. In general, they are doing their homework on this year’s edge class: Williams is one of 16 outside linebackers and defensive ends linked to them in the pre-draft process, and the fifth visiting Gillette Stadium.
The team previously hosted or set up meetings with Penn State’s Abdul Carter, UCLA’s Oluwafemi Oladejo and Texas A&M teammates Shemar Stewart and Nic Scourton. In total, 14 of their up to 30 pre-draft visits have been reported so far.