Georgia
Cardinals Should Gamble on Georgia Pass Rusher
Welcome back to our series assessing perfect picks for the Arizona Cardinals in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft.
On today’s menu we have one of the most exciting edge rusher prospects in the class in Georgia’s Mykel Williams.
The former Bulldog is something to marvel at with his size of 6’5 and 265 lbs blended with some crazy athleticism that we’ve rarely seen before.
My lazy comparison has been to another former Bulldog in Travon Walker. Quite frankly, I believe it’s a perfect comparison thanks to their similar size (Walker at 6’5 and 272 lbs) and high-end potential as raw or “project” prospects.
If you want another one, you could go with Odafe Oweh from the Baltimore Ravens.
The commonality between the three is size, speed, athleticism, and upside, but they all need(ed) coaching and patience to realize their potential. Walker figured himself out pretty quickly with consecutive 10+ sack seasons in his first three seasons. Oweh had his first 10 sack season as a fourth year guy.
Williams could require that same patience, but he’s undeniably talented and could become a superstar.
Some will wonder if the Cardinals can afford to be patient and develop someone like Williams, but I’m here to introduce you to this monster of a man as well as his fit with the team and what his day one role may look like.
Let’s begin:
Profile
The fit
Williams fits into this pass rushing room with tons of potential and upside thanks to his insane athleticism. The moment the Georgia product steps into the Cardinals’ locker room he shows himself as one of the biggest guys in there. The only pass rusher who may look as big is Darius Robinson, who’s 6’5 and 285 lbs.
From a profile standpoint, Williams fits right in with a pass rushing room that is getting bigger. He also fits what the team needs off the edge – athleticism.
Finding a guy with the pure, untapped potential that Williams possesses is tough to find. Sure, Arizona already has an athletic specimen in the aforementioned Robinson, but Williams brings his own take to the room with blinding speed and power conversion.
A Cardinals team in need of pass rushers would love Williams. A defense in need of a superstar pass rusher would love Williams even more.
The logic
Of the many, many pass rushers in this loaded class, I truly believe that Williams can be the best of all of them. The key to getting to that point will be to sit him down with this coaching staff and develop a plan for him with checkpoints along the way to make sure he’s progressing correctly and timely.
The Cardinals have seen some elite pass rushers over the years, but the void left by Chandler Jones has not been filled even by a collective effort. Sure, that’s a tall task, but even combining the pass rushers Arizona has seen since Jones left hasn’t been enough.
Williams has the potential to grow into a player of Jones’ caliber and I’m not just being polite. There aren’t many people who look like Williams and move the way he does. From an athletic standpoint, he isn’t far behind Jones – now it’s a matter of getting him to that production standpoint.
Elite pass rushers make your defense great and the Cardinals know that as well as anyone else. Grabbing a top pass rusher is a must in this class, but grabbing a player who could potentially pass all of his classmates is quite exciting… albeit a gamble of sorts.
Day one role
Williams is a guy that Arizona must be patient with. Although the Georgia product has three years in Athens and two years starting under his belt, he hasn’t reached his maximum potential. The upside with Williams is catastrophically good, but he needs time to get there.
The Cardinals coaching staff will be able to coach Williams up to his ceiling, but it could take a year or two to get him there. Injuries have slowed down Williams progress, as well, most evident this past season.
But while the team develops him, they can easily slide him in this rotation and get him reps. Even as a project, Williams is too good to keep on the sidelines and we’ve seen how great he can be in flashes. Those same flashes will be what gets him on the field and keeps him out there.
No need to worry, Cardinals fans, you’ll see this kid early and often for this defense. My only advice would be to stay patient as he develops. Year one could see fewer than five sacks… but he could become an annual 10+ sack producer before his rookie contract ends.
As temperatures rise across Georgia, cooling costs are also expected to climb this summer. The Georgia Public Service Commission is set to hear one of Georgia Power’s proposed agreements aimed at saving customers money on their power bills.
Georgia Power says its proposed agreements could save the typical customer about $4 a month if approved by the commission.
The proposals involve two separate cases before the PSC. One focuses on fuel costs used to operate power plants, while the second deals with storm recovery costs tied to Hurricane Helene.
Georgia Power and the PSC’s Public Interest Advocacy Staff recently reached agreements in both cases. If approved, the company says the typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month could save about $4.04 per month or nearly $50 per year beginning in June.
The proposal comes as a new national report from the National Energy Assistance Directors Association and the Center for Energy Poverty and Climate projects cooling costs could rise about 8.5% nationwide this year. The report says hotter temperatures and increased energy demand are helping drive costs higher.
Reliable Heating and Air said it is already seeing an increase in service calls across metro Atlanta as more people start using their air conditioning systems.
HVAC experts said homeowners should watch for warning signs, including strange noises, weak airflow, homes cooling slowly or higher-than-normal power bills.
“Biggest mistake they make is not getting a system maintenance,” said Joshua Kelly with Reliable Heating and Air. “A lot of people feel like, ‘Oh no, I don’t have to get maintenance,’ but you most definitely do.”
Experts recommend changing air filters regularly, scheduling maintenance checks, keeping thermostats between 74 and 77 degrees on hot days and addressing airflow problems early.
Resources for Georgia families needing help with cooling costs:
- Georgia LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) — Helps eligible low-income households pay heating and cooling bills and may assist during energy emergencies.
- United Way 211 — Connects families with local resources, including utility assistance programs, emergency financial help and community services.
- Partnership for Community Action — Offers utility assistance, energy support programs and other services for eligible families in metro Atlanta.
- Local Community Action Agencies — Many agencies across Georgia provide emergency utility assistance, payment support and additional family resources during extreme heat and high energy demand periods.
ATLANTA – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Emory University Hospital are monitoring two Georgia residents following a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship that resulted in three deaths.
Atlanta hospital monitoring
What we know:
A couple returned to Georgia last week and was moved Monday to Emory University Hospital for specialized monitoring. One of the passengers showed mild symptoms of the virus but has since tested negative. Both individuals were passengers on the MV Hondius, a ship where the Andes variant of hantavirus was identified.
The CDC confirmed the patients are being kept in a biocontainment unit designed for highly infectious diseases. Doctors at Emory said one individual is receiving treatment while the other is being monitored, though they emphasize there is no risk to the general public.
Monitoring and travel status
What we don’t know:
Health officials have not confirmed if the passengers will be cleared to leave the hospital or return home before a 42-day period is over. While one test was negative, authorities have not said how many additional tests or how much more observation time is needed before the couple is fully cleared. The exact names and ages of the Georgia residents have not been released due to privacy concerns.
Cruise ship outbreak
The backstory:
The outbreak began in April on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius during a voyage from Argentina. Nine cases have been confirmed and three people died after the virus spread, likely through human-to-human transmission of the Andes strain. This specific strain is known for causing Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, a severe respiratory illness.
Low public risk
Big picture view:
While the Andes variant is serious, the CDC and World Health Organization assess the risk to the general public as low. The virus typically spreads through close contact with bodily fluids or respiration rather than everyday social contact. Federal and state health departments are using established protocols to manage the repatriation and monitoring of the 18 Americans who were on the ship.
The Source: Information for this story was gathered from FOX 5 reporter Kevyn Stewart, who attended a news conference with the CDC and Emory University Hospital, as well as official statements from the Georgia Department of Public Health and the World Health Organization.
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