49ers LT Trent Williams' Latest Ranking Reinforces One Glaring Long-Term Issue

Enjoy Trent Williams while you still can.

Feb 1, 2026; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tackle Trent Williams (71) throws the ball during NFC practice at the Flag Fieldhouse Moscone Center South Building. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There's unanimous agreement that Trent Williams deserves his flowers the moment he hangs up his helmet.

Even though he's not won a Super Bowl, his career is legendary and will almost certainly be recognised in the Hall of Fame.

In a recent offensive tackle ranking, crafted by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Williams is ranked second in the league at the age of 37.

"Williams is strengthening his Hall of Fame résumé with strong play into his late 30s," Fowler wrote.

"It's hard to knock his game. He finished the 2025 season with a 92.2% pass block win rate, and his run block win rate of 79.5% was best among the top-10 group and sixth overall for tackles."

"At this stage, it takes him a while to get going early in the season, but he's still producing at a high level," an NFL coordinator told Fowler.

"I don't see a lot of drop-off -- he still operates without the need for any help in pass protection, he still mauls people, he's still got light feet for his size, still has the capacity to dominate," admitted another coach.

What this ranking says about 49ers' long term problems at OT

November 24, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams (71) during the first quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 49ers are fortunate that Trent Williams is still playing at a high level. While he remains one of the NFL's premier run blockers, there are signs that his pass protection has regressed slightly compared to his peak. Even so, he's still one of the league's better left tackles.

Williams signed a two-year contract extension just before the NFL Draft, but the 49ers missed an opportunity to begin planning for life after him.

Rather than using an early draft pick on an offensive lineman who could develop under Williams' mentorship and eventually take over, San Francisco waited until the later rounds to address the offensive line. Those selections may provide depth, but they're far less likely to become a difference-maker long-term.

Williams won't be around forever. If the 49ers don't have a succession plan in place by the time he retires, they may look back and regret not investing premium draft capital in his eventual replacement while they still had one of the best mentors in the game.

The ideal scenario was to use the draft to find a replacement before he starts losing his explosiveness. The offensive line, as a whole, remains the biggest question mark on the roster.

It could ultimately determine whether the 49ers field one of the NFL's most explosive offenses or one that falls short of expectations.