Willis enters the NFL with the right attitude, willing to do whatever his new team asks of him—no matter where that requires him to line up. He understood early in the pre-draft process—and really, throughout college—that a move inside was likely after no NFL teams approached him about playing tackle at the next level.
"I call it winning the genetic lottery. I didn't," Willis said last week. "Some guys—I kind of talked about it with my agency—one of my coaches at my agency said, 'Some guys are born with a V12.' And I always kind of make the joke that I'm trying to add a turbocharger to an inline-six. It's really durable, a dependable and reliable engine, but it doesn't have all the flash and power."
Willis acknowledged that technique and skill can compensate for some physical limitations. Still, he believes NFL franchise left tackles typically possess elite traits that place them among the top one percent of athletes in their position group. That reality likely eliminates any chance of him eventually succeeding Trent Williams at left tackle.
However, Willis could have an opportunity to line up next to Williams in 2026 if he can beat out second-year offensive lineman Connor Colby and veteran Robert Jones for the starting left guard role. Newcomer Brett Toth could also factor into the competition, although 49ers insider Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area recently labeled him as a long shot to win the job.
Another respected 49ers beat writer, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle, believes Willis has a legitimate opportunity to emerge as the team's Week 1 starter at left guard.
"It would be at least a mild disappointment if Willis isn't the season-opening starter at left guard," Branch wrote in a recent mailbag article. "If the 49ers felt strongly about his top competitors, Connor Colby and Robert Jones, they wouldn't have selected Willis."
The 49ers will begin organized team activities on May 27, but the true competition for starting jobs will intensify once training camp opens in late July.
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