San Francisco 49ers: Ranking 5 most important offensive players in 2020
By Peter Panacy
No. 4: 49ers Offensive Tackle Trent Williams
The Niners essentially found an upgrade over the now-retired left tackle, Joe Staley, by trading for perennial Pro Bowl tackle Trent Williams formerly of the Washington Redskins.
Williams, who’ll turn 32 years old, is a far better pass blocker at this stage of his career than Staley was a season ago and has allowed no more than four sacks in each of his yearly campaigns dating back to 2014.
Granted, Williams missed all of 2019 while sitting out in hopes of a new contract, prompting the trade from Washington.
But now, amid a contract year, Williams is tasked for protecting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo’s blind side.
This is going to be inherently important, as Garoppolo’s passer rating drops to 63.9 when facing pressure, according to Pro Football Focus, compared to an excellent 110.2 without it.
Ensuring Garoppolo’s blind-side protection stays put in 2020 will be one of Williams’ top priorities.