3 reasons why SF 49ers won’t re-sign Trent Williams

No. 1: SF 49ers can dip into deep NFL Draft offensive line class

The Niners either re-signing Trent Williams or targeting another high-profile free agent like Cam Robinson or Alejandro Villanueva is ultimately going to cost a lot of money. It might be worth it, given the need of an elite-level offensive line. But it doesn’t have to be the only option.

Thankfully, it’s a good year for teams looking to bolster their O-lines via the NFL Draft.

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This year’s class of linemen is tremendously deep, both along the interior spots and for tackles. While names like Oregon’s Penei Sewell, Virginia Tech’s Christian Darrisaw and Northwestern’s Rashawn Slater dominate the chatter about offensive tackles, there are plenty of other quality starting-caliber options who could be had in Rounds 2, 3 and even 4.

Notre Dame’s Liam Eichenberg is a quality target on day two of the draft, and San Francisco has already shown its trust in Fighting Irish offensive linemen by drafting right tackle Mike McGlinchey back in 2018.

Go down the list of O-line prospects, and it’s hard to too many reaches or less-than-impressive prospects.

While replacing a perennial Pro Bowler like Williams with a rookie is always a risky proposition, this year would be the year in which to take that risk. Plus, there’s the added bonus of getting that player on a cheap rookie contract while the SF 49ers could worry about their other roster needs and extensions elsewhere.

Again, Williams should be a re-sign priority. But if it doesn’t happen, one or more of these reasons will be why.