49ers left tackle Trent Williams raised some eyebrows during a radio spot earlier this week when he called the team's rookie quarterback and first-round pick Trey Lance a "generational talent." But he didn't dive into much detail at the time as to why he felt that way, which is why he was asked to expand on that comment following 49ers practice on Saturday.
Williams made his "generational" comment while speaking with KNBR's Murph and Mac Podcast on Thursday.
"Trey is an outstanding talent. It's hard to deny that," Williams said. "When you see him throw the ball, when you see him run the ball, you know that's a generational talent."
Williams doubled down on that comment Saturday by calling Lance "a blue-chipper." He also gave an explanation as to why he thinks Lance has a chance to be special, saying Lance has more to offer than the typical NFL quarterback.
"You just go down the line," Williams said Saturday. "You look at the size -- he's a little bit bigger than your prototypical quarterback. You look at his athleticism. Obviously we know he has the edge there over a conventional quarterback. But then he can also do all the things a conventional quarterback is supposed to do. So you don't see those come around too much. You know, label generational talents -- he's a blue-chipper. You could see it from day one."
But while Williams was effusive in his praise towards Lance on Thursday while also saying Lance was "developing at a very high speed," he emphasized that current starter Jimmy Garoppolo has been playing "lights out" as well and that there was no competition between the two quarterbacks just yet. Williams told the Murph and Mac Podcast that Garoppolo had been "ballin'" and "in control" at practice, and he had more positive words for Garoppolo on Saturday.
"I think Jimmy's been pretty sharp all camp if you diagnose all his reps. I think he's been the same guy who's been leading us up and down the field," Williams said.
The public will find out much more about what Lance brings to the table when he makes his expected preseason debut against the Kansas City Chiefs one week from today at Levi's Stadium (8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT).
