San Francisco 49ers star offensive tackle Trent Williams has taken a significant drop in the NFL's annual player rankings. Williams, who missed the final seven games of last season due to an ankle injury, landed at No. 45 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2025 list—falling 38 spots from his No. 7 ranking just one year ago.
NFL Top 100 Players of 2025:@49ers OT Trent Williams checks in at No. 45! @NFLFilms pic.twitter.com/97YhytdIde
— NFL (@NFL) August 6, 2025
"Trent Williams, Hall of Famer, lockdown," quarterback Brock Purdy said in an interview for the reveal. "Every time I step out on the field with Trent, I always know my left side's good. Just the mindset that he has going into every game, he goes out and just completely dominates the guy in front of him in the run game, pass game."
Purdy added, "He makes some NFL guys look like they're in high school."
Williams is a four-time First-Team All-Pro and 11-time Pro Bowl selection. At 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds, he has long been regarded as one of the league's most athletic and technically sound offensive linemen. While his Pro Football Focus defensive grade dipped to 85.6 in 2024—his lowest since joining the 49ers—Williams is still widely considered one of the NFL's best tackles.
Now 37, questions linger about how many more elite seasons Williams has left. However, the veteran left tackle says he remains highly motivated heading into the 2025 campaign.
"I feel good. I feel great, actually," Williams said at the start of training camp. "I don't feel like a 37-year-old. Not sure what they supposed to feel like, but I feel a little younger."
He added, "I love to compete. When I'm in that mode, with my cleats on the grass, to me, I feel like a rookie, just because of how I approach it and how I just love to play."
Despite the ranking drop, the 49ers expect Williams to be a crucial part of the team's effort to bounce back from a disappointing 2024 season.