The San Francisco 49ers used the No. 11 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on defensive lineman Mykel Williams. While Williams flashed potential during his rookie season, his early development took a setback when he suffered a torn ACL, ending his campaign prematurely.
Williams is expected to return in 2026, although he may not be ready for Week 1.
In a recent 2025 NFL Draft do-over, Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport has the 49ers taking a very different approach with their first-round selection—one that could have provided an immediate boost last season while getting a head start on the overhaul of San Francisco’s wide receiver room.
Instead of Williams, Davenport has the 49ers selecting wide receiver Emeka Egbuka with the 11th overall pick. In reality, Egbuka was chosen No. 19 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“Instead, this time the Niners are going to address a wide receiver room that currently features an aging Mike Evans and a who’s who of ‘who?'” Davenport wrote.
Evans, San Francisco’s marquee free-agent addition, is entering his 13th NFL season. Injuries limited the veteran receiver to just eight games in 2025. The 49ers also added Christian Kirk and drafted De’Zhaun Stribling this offseason, but lost Jauan Jennings, Kendrick Bourne, and Skyy Moore in free agency.
“Emeka Egbuka came roaring out of the gate last year before fading over the second half of his rookie season,” Davenport wrote. “But Egbuka posted three 100-yard games as a rookie and had an equal number of contests with double-digit catches.
“Egbuka faded last year because his targets dropped. He’s absolutely capable of being the No. 1 wide receiver for an NFL offense—and the Niners need all the help at the position they can get.”
Interestingly, Davenport’s re-draft doesn’t include Williams in the first round at all.
