Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
No surprise: 49ers’ Trent Williams earns top spot in ESPN’s OT ranking
Jul 15, 2022 at 2:17 PM
•
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler continues to share his 2022 positional rankings based on conversations with more than 50 league executives, coaches, scouts, and players. Today, he
revealed the top 10 offensive tackles in the NFL. Tight end
George Kittle captured the
top spot for his position group. Now, he isn't the only 49ers player to do so.
For the second consecutive year,
Trent Williams is the No. 1 ranked offensive tackle in the NFL, and that should surprise no one. Williams is widely regarded as the best at his position. The massive offensive lineman is a consistent and punishing blocker.
"Pro Football Focus gave him an outrageous 97.8 rating in 2022, his 92.3% pass block win rate was ninth among tackles, and he didn't allow a single sack," wrote Fowler. "One knock on Williams is he occasionally misses in the open field -- his seven run-game whiffs last season were the most among the tackles who made the list -- but that's a small toll for his splash playmaking."
Williams has spent the past two seasons with the 49ers following a trade from Washington. He has since started 29 games for San Francisco and has led all offensive linemen in Pro Football Focus grades during that timespan.
"He's the most talented for sure," one NFC executive told Fowler, "but he is a true student of the game with great passion for improving and an extremely smart player as well. He's the total package."
Last year, Williams signed a six-year, $138.06 million deal, making him the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history and keeping him with the 49ers through 2026. Williams is a nine-time Pro Bowl selection, including the past two seasons, and was named a 2021 first-team All-Pro.
Related News
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
No Huddle Podcast: 49ers Draft Plans With ESPN's Matt Miller
(Episode 329) — Al Sacco is joined by ESPN NFL draft analyst and insider Matt Miller to discuss the best prospect fits for the 49ers, his connection to the 49ers, how the 49ers improve their receiver corp, the state of QB play in the NFL, and more.
The audio for the show is embedded above. Remember to subscribe!
You can watch the interview below.
You can listen to the latest "No Huddle Podcast"
ESPN analyst weighs in on 49ers potentially drafting a wide receiver
The San Francisco 49ers will likely add a rookie wide receiver via the draft, and it has nothing to do with Brandon Aiyuk's current contract situation. Deebo Samuel is about as physical a player as you'll find at the position, so wear and tear, along with his significant salary, has to be a concern. Jauan Jennings is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next year.
The 49ers have tried to address the position recently, drafting Ronnie Bell in the seventh round last year and Danny Gray in the third round in 2022. While it's too early to judge Bell, Gray has played only 87 offensive snaps as a pro. His career stat line is unimpressive, recording only one reception for 10 yards on seven targets.
One ESPN analyst and 49ers fan, Matt Miller, admits to being
49ers sign WR Trent Taylor, reuniting with former draft pick
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
Draft Watch: 49ers meet with Oregon safety Evan Williams
Justin Melo of The Draft Network reports that the San Francisco 49ers have conducted a virtual meeting with former Oregon safety Evan Williams.
#Oregon DB Evan Williams: Workhorse w/ 82 tackles, 4.5 sacks this yr. Great @SeniorBowl, jumped 40.5" vertical + 10-ft-6 broad at NFL Combine.Recent virtual meetings include #Bills,
