The San Francisco 49ers need reinforcements on their defensive line, and they may be getting them from a former first-round pick.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday told reporters in a conference call that 2025 first-round pick Mykel Williams is due to have his practice window opened ahead of the team’s Week 4 matchup with the Denver Broncos, paving the way for his return from the PUP list.
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Williams suffered a torn ACL in the 49ers’ Week 9 win over the New York Giants last season. He was eligible to have his practice window opened in Week 3 and eligible to return to game action in Week 5, but San Francisco will hold off one more week on getting him back on the practice field.
With a rash of injuries already on the defensive line and the team quickly running out of IR return designations, the 49ers can’t afford to bring Williams back and risk losing him again. Teams get eight IR returns per season. Williams won’t count against that number since he’s coming off the PUP list where he’s been since training camp started.
Shanahan on Sunday after the 49ers’ Week 2 victory over the Miami Dolphins said the team will need to bring in a player to help on the defensive line after rookie defensive tackle James Thompson Jr. went down with a high ankle sprain. Williams is an excellent run defender who should be able to step in and fill some of the snaps on the interior while improving that area of the 49ers’ defense that has struggled mightily through the first two games.
Williams, the No. 11 overall pick in last year’s draft, played in nine games last season. He tallied 20 tackles, four tackles for loss and 1.0 sacks.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers expect to get injured 1st-round pick back ahead of Week 4
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