Heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, one of the biggest debates centered around which Georgia outside linebacker should come off the board first: Mykel Williams or Jalon Walker.

On paper, the idea was simple enough; the two rushers were among the most talented players in college football, with some talent evaluators preferring Williams' more prototypical size, while others liked Walker's athletic upside, comparing him to another Georgia product, Nolan Smith, who really came into his own with the Philadelphia Eagles on their run to the Super Bowl.

For the San Francisco 49ers, they went with Williams, selecting him 11th overall, while Walker had to wait until pick 15 to hear his name called, when he was selected by the Atlanta Falcons.

Between the obvious Georgia connection and where they were drafted, it would make sense that fans would pit the duo against one another, comparing their production to see which team selected the better player, but as Williams noted during an appearance on Up & Adams, that sense of friendly competition exists between the two players as well. Asked who he believes will have more sacks when their teams square up in Week 7, Williams picked himself.

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“We've got to wait and see. I like myself, though,” Williams declared. “We'll have to wait and see. I like my chances.”

On paper, Williams has a point: the 49ers already have one of the best individual rushers in the NFL in Nick Bosa, who routinely draws in double teams to avoid wrecking one side of the offensive line on his own. At best, Williams will be second on an opposing team's scouting reports and thus may earn more advantageous rushes this fall. Walker, by contrast, joins a Falcons team without a clear top rusher, with the Georgia product and fellow first-round pick James Pearce Jr. likely rotating with Leonard Floyd as the team's top 3 edge options.

Who will close out 2025 as the better edge rusher, Williams or Walker? Will one of the players win Defensive Rookie of the Year, or will some other player emerge and win the award with their own play, from Travis Hunter to Abdul Carter, or even Jihaad Campbell? As Williams noted, fans will find out soon enough.