Niners Nation
Trent Williams is a first ballot Hall of Famer. Also, there is an argument for Williams being the greatest left tackle in NFL history.
The San Francisco 49ers pulled off a miracle when they traded for Williams following Joe Staley’s retirement announcement. Going from a Hall of Famer to another Hall of Famer at the same position is almost unheard of. Now, in Williams’ sixth season as a 49er, the 37-year-old is in the twilight of his career and still playing at a level rarely seen for a left tackle at his age.
2024 was a frustrating season for the 49ers and Williams. The season was lost for both the 49ers and Williams, as the left tackle played only 649 snaps. For reference, in 2025, Williams has played 612 snaps with eight fewer pass blocking snaps in 2025 than in 2024.
Last season, Williams finished with 17 pressures, 13 hurries, three QB hits, and one sack allowed on 381 pass-blocking snaps. In 2025, Williams has allowed 24 pressures, 15 hurries, six QB hits, and three sacks on 373 pass-blocking snaps. The last time Williams has allowed 25-plus pressures was 2018 in Washington when Trent allowed 30.
For clarity, Williams has been great in 2025. The bar is so high that it is hard to imagine a time when Williams looks mortal. According to PFF, Williams is the 16th-best pass-blocking tackle with a pass-blocking grade of 76.3. As far as run blocking goes, Williams is fifth with an 85.0 run blocking grade, right behind his teammate Colton McKivitz with a grade of 86.6. Overall, Williams is the fourth-ranked tackle with an offensive grade of 84.6.
Sunday’s matchup with big NFC West implications is the perfect time for a Williams masterclass against the Los Angeles Rams. In the first meeting at SoFi Stadium, Williams faced off with the impressive young EDGE rusher Jared Verse. Verse generated three pressures against the future Hall of Famer with a game plan designed around throwing the ball quickly to mitigate the Rams’ pass rush. On Sunday, the game plan should be mirrored from the first meeting.
Bradley Locker of PFF highlighted the Verse vs Williams matchup as one of the ten best matchups to watch in Week 10.
“Any Rams-49ers matchup should always be cherished, especially as this year’s first contest demonstrated. That’s particularly because of the battle between Verse and Williams in the trenches. There’s been zero sophomore slump for Verse, who’s recorded an 84.4 PFF pass-rushing grade with 40 pressures already in 2025. More specifically, Verse slots ninth among edge defenders in PFF’s Wins Above Replacement metric. Similarly, Williams has still played like one of the NFL’s better tackles, even at 37. The All-Pro’s 84.6 overall PFF grade is third among qualifiers, placing in the top 15 in both pass- and run-blocking grades. Across 26 pass-rushing matchups in Week 5, Verse generated three pressures against Williams, but didn’t win any of their 11 run-game duels. Expect a similarly even matchup five weeks later.”...
