Trent Williams is really good at his job. The San Francisco 49ers left tackle is a future Hall of Famer and has been the league's best offensive tackle for several years. And it's not just the 49ers fanbase that believes this.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, "ESPN surveyed league executives, coaches, and scouts to help us rank the top 10 players at 11 different positions, from quarterback to cornerback and all positions in between." Those executives, coaches, and scouts have named Williams the top tackle in the NFL. The 35-year-old tackle ranked number one on this list for the last three years, as well.
Fowler wrote, "The back-to-back-to-back-to-back winner is playing like he's 25, leading all tackles with a 95.8 pass block win rate in Year 13." Williams is an elite pass blocker, but he is a dominant run blocker, as well. Whenever the 49ers need to gain yardage on the ground, they often run to the left behind Williams.
Fowler quoted an NFL coordinator, who, speaking of Williams, said, "Does it all at a high level, still. Protection, run game, second-level stuff downfield -- no weakness in his game and I haven't seen the skill set diminish."
Williams' skills have not diminished, but as he gets older, health is an issue, at times. In 2023, Williams missed two games. In 2022, he missed three games. That's not very many missed games for an NFL offensive lineman. Williams is as tough as they come. But the contrast is stark between him and any player who backs him up.
Williams is the best in the business, and by far, the best offensive lineman the 49ers have. The 49ers do not currently have a backup tackle who could effectively replace Williams if he goes down. So the 49ers need him to stay healthy.
Williams is entering his 14th NFL season, and fifth with the 49ers.