49ers roster: Power ranking 5 most important players entering 2021

49ers Player No. 2: Trent Williams

You can have the best quarterback on the planet playing for your team, but it won’t matter if you can’t protect him.

The interior offensive line has been retooled for this season, with rookie guard Aaron Banks and veteran center Alex Mack coming to the 49ers. How that plays out remains to be seen.

Luckily for quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance, they have one of the best left tackles in the business in Trent Williams to protect their blindsides.

Williams proved to be a savvy trade acquisition for the Niners a little over a year ago with a strong season protecting the blindside in 2021. And the 49ers have been blessed with excellent blindside blocking in the last 15 years, thanks to now-retired tackle Joe Staley and then Williams, and the Niners currently have the most important non-quarterback offensive position locked down for a long time.

But, hopefully with San Francisco healthier in 2021, we’ll start to see the play of Williams pay more dividends on the field.