The 49ers held another pre-draft meeting via FaceTime – the new norm in the COVID-19 world. Michigan State defensive lineman Kenny Willekes told Justin Melo of the Draft Wire that he had a video chat with the 49ers, along with a handful of other teams.
Willekes’ story as a Michigan State walk-on makes it easy to see how he’d be attractive to a culture-minded 49ers club. He was a star linebacker and running back in high school, but had to walk on with the Spartans. During his redshirt first year, he won Scout Team Player of the Week six times, including four on special teams, one on offense and one on defense according to the Michigan State athletics site.
All the while he was transforming his body by adding enough bulk to play on the defensive line. Willekes measured in at 6-3, 264 pounds at the combine. He saw sparse action as a redshirt freshman, but burst on the scene in his second season with a team-high 7.0 sacks and a team-best 14.5 tackles for loss in his 12 starts.
He went on start 38 of the 40 games he played and racked up 26.5 sacks to go along with 51 tackles for loss – a Michigan State record. Willekes was a First-Team All-Big Ten selection twice, and the 2018 Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year.
That’s terrific production to go along with a backstory that implies a work ethic NFL teams generally love to see in players. He’s a bit stiff turning the corner, but he still manages to win when getting the edge. If a team leaves him unblocked, he’s going to find his way to the football.
While Willekes isn’t the explosive athlete that’ll go early in the draft, there are enough positive traits that could make him an easy fit in the 49ers’ defensive line rotation. If San Francisco is looking to fill defensive line depth later in the draft, it wouldn’t be a surprise to hear them call Willekes’ name.