49ers NFL Draft: San Francisco’s best, worst moves in 2020
By Peter Panacy
49ers’ Best Move in the 2020 NFL Draft: Trading for Trent Williams
San Francisco’s best move in the draft wasn’t even bringing aboard a rookie prospect.
No, it was making a move for Trent Williams. When one looks at all the factors and X-factors, there’s no other way around acknowledging the Niners literally struck gold with this maneuver.
For starters, Joe Staley leaving was going to create a huge void. And it would have been a pipe dream to find another perennial Pro Bowler who is also younger and can thrive in Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
But those traits describe Williams, who has one more Pro Bowl under his belt than Staley and is significantly younger.
Plus, Williams played under Shanahan between 2010 and 2013, so there shouldn’t be too drastic a shift in scheme.
OK, so Williams is going to cost San Francisco more against the salary cap than Staley would have this season, and the former is also a pending free agent in 2021. But even if Williams decides to walk for a lucrative contract a year from now, the Niners would likely recoup a compensatory pick, probably a third rounder.
Considering the 49ers gave up a mere 2020 fifth- and 2021 third-round pick to get Williams, it’s the steal of steals.