(Photo: Sporting News)
The San Francisco 49ers have been the talk for most of the Summer. One, is their window closing to win a Super Bowl? This is a team that’s established themselves as one of the best in the NFC and they’ve been to four of the last five NFC Championship games and have won two of the last four conference titles. Next, would they extend Brandon Aiyuk or would they trade him? I even saw a rumor that the 49ers would’ve traded Brandon to the Las Vegas Raiders for Davante Adams. Lastly, what about Trent Williams? He’s been holding out all training camp seeking a new deal. They were able to extend their star Wide Receiver, now could they do the same with their All-Pro Offensive Tackle? They have and he will suit up this year for the red and gold. It’s a three-year deal worth $82.66 million and $48 million guaranteed.
Trent is the best all-around Offensive Lineman in the NFL today. This guy checks everything on the list and does all you ask for an Offensive Lineman to do. Opens those lanes for a Running Back to maneuver through? Check. Stout in pass protection? Check. A human wrecking ball to pancake anyone in his path? Check, and, he can pull and lead with his blocks with the quickness to get to where he wants. I’ve seen many of the best pass rushers in the league line up against Trent and he’s neutralized them all and this also goes back to his days in Washington. Protecting the Quarterback, he’s a Great Wall that holds his own and to beat him, you will have to bring your breakfast, lunch, and dinner because it’s going to be an all-day battle with him. Trent knows how to position himself and he’s always squared up which allows him to control the situation at hand. He positions his hands perfectly on a blocker and it’s over from there. Many Offensive Tackles use their reach to their full advantage and Trent is one of those. In run blocking, he’s going to open that path and pancake people in the process at the same time. Look at the lanes he opened for Christian McCaffrey a year ago en route to his first Offensive Player of the Year award. Trent is consistent in both the run and pass game. Even when the 49ers run toss plays, they primarily run it to the left side and there you see number 71 leading the way. Even when Linebackers or Defensive Backs run near him, they make business decisions to avoid being hit by him. When Trent is running on the edge, nobody wants to encounter that. He’s winning that battle every time.
I always say Trent is the rock of the 49ers offense. There are bigger names, but he’s that glue guy that holds everything together. I remember he missed a few games last season with some injuries and look how much that San Francisco Offensive Line struggled without him. With him, they’re a completely different group upfront and it shows. He plays with that nasty streak and always finds a way to throw guys out of the club. He’s always confident in the passing game and the run game, not many men his size move as fluidly as he does. Trent finds different ways to beat you. The biggest piece of them all (literally) has been signed. Now, it’s time to defend the NFC title.
