First-round draft pick Williams might be latest 49ers injury casualty
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Defensive lineman Mykel Williams, the 49ers’ first-round draft pick, sustained what the 49ers fear is a season-ending tear to his right knee’s anterior cruciate ligament.
Williams got hurt with four minutes remaining in Sunday’s 34-24 win over the host New York Giants.
The 49ers’ lead was at 34-17 when Williams lined up at left defensive end, raced past left tackle Marcus Mbow, and grasped at quarterback Jaxson Dart as he backpedaled and unleashed an incomplete pass from the Giants’ 31-yard line.
Williams immediately grabbed at his right knee and banged his hands into his helmet while splayed on his back on the MetLife Stadium’s synthetic field, which has long come under fire for safety concerns.
Williams walked off the field under his own powers and eventually with his teammates into the locker room, where he met with coach Kyle Shanahan. “He’s just down,” Shanahan said. “I told him, ‘You never know (until Monday’s MRI). Hopefully it’s not the worst. If it is, it (stinks) for this year, but you’ll be back next year and it won’t affect you at all.’ ”
Williams, drafted No. 11 overall, has one sack through nine starts, and his final play Sunday marked his third quarterback hit this season. He has 20 tackles.
“Mykel is a vital part of the defense,” left tackle Trent Williams said. “We’re praying it’s not (an ACL tear). If it is, it’s still a next-man-up league. Someone has to go out there and line up, and we’ll have to be dependent on them.”
Clelin Ferrell and Keion White just joined the 49ers last week to cover for the defensive line’s depth. Nick Bosa tore an ACL in Week 3, and recent hamstring injuries have sidelined Bryce Huff and Yetur Gross-Matos. Sam Okuayinonu, despite last week’s ankle injury, started along with Williams against the Giants.
Ferrell and Okuayinonu each sacked Dart on Sunday, and afterward, Ferrell was emotional about Williams.
“Oh my gosh, he’s such a good dude, a good spirit and he loves football,” defensive end Clelin Ferrell said. “It was a quiet moment on the field. But he’ll be good. … He’s very attentive and likes to ask questions. That’s very rare in a young player, because a lot of times you just want to show the older players you’ve got it already. He’s someone who has no hidden agenda. He’s just a sponge and it made me draw to him.”