Left tackle Trent Williams might be the 49ers’ best player.
But he plays a position for which there are no reliable statistics to measure his prowess.
Assigning blame for quarterback sacks often is a subjective exercise, and Williams rates highly in that he rarely is the reason for a sack allowed, according to Pro Football Focus. Williams allowed a total of two sacks over the past three seasons, per PFF.
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Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, now an analyst for ESPN, has only the eyeball test to evaluate Williams. And in that regard, Williams is as good as it gets, Kelce said.
“He’s been so good for so long,” Kelce told NBC Sports Bay Area recently at the American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt that his run-blocking has been the best in the league for more than a decade now.”
Williams, who turns 36 this week, broke into the NFL in 2010 with Washington as a first-round draft pick. He earned Pro Bowl recognition as a third-year player. Every season he has played since that year, Williams has made the Pro Bowl. He has received All-Pro status each of the past three years while with the 49ers.
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Kelce was teammates with Jason Peters, who has made nine Pro Bowls in his 19 seasons. He was the oldest active player last season when he played eight games with the Seattle Seahawks.
Kelce said he remains partial to Peters while admiring what Williams has done in his career, too.
“He’s been perfect in this Kyle Shanahan system, whether it was in Washington or now in San Fran,” Kelce said. “It suits his skillset so well, whether he’s blocking on the zone or pulling around and killing somebody on the outside or running one of those screens. It’s a joy to watch him play the game.”