The most consequential 49ers rookie minicamp observation

There's never much to take away from a rookie minicamp, but an injury update on San Francisco 49ers defensive end Mykel Williams was one observation from the session that stood out. Matt Barrows and Vic Tafur from the Athletic put together a handful of notes from San Francisco's rookie minicamp. Those notes included observations about second-round pick De'Zhaun Stribling and a handful of other 49ers draft picks that are all worth taking in .

However, their update on Williams as he recovers from a torn ACL he suffered in Week 9 last season was the most notable for an early May practice. Via the Athletic: He hasn’t been cleared for on-field activities and probably won’t be for a while longer, but last year’s first-round draft pick, Mykel Williams, appears to be making steady progress. While the San Francisco 49ers rookies practiced Friday, Williams was busy on the far north side of the field, doing side-to-side movements and working with resistance bands for 35 minutes before retiring to the team’s weight room.

This isn't a sign that he's right around the corner from returning, but it does help bolster general manager John Lynch's hope that Williams would be able to return to action at some point during training camp. His status for Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams remains up in the air according to the Athletic. Williams is going to be a key piece for the 49ers' defensive front this season.

Their run defense struggled mightily without him manning one of the edges, and his development as an interior pass rusher was coming along nicely when he went down with his injury. Getting him back relatively early in the year to play alongside Nick Bosa, Osa Odighizuwa, Keion White, CJ West and Alfred Collins gives him a chance to grow into his role before the postseason push begins. If Williams is able to hit the ground running whenever he does return, it bodes well for the 49ers' entire defensive line.