49ers roster: 3 players who should rank higher in Pro Bowl voting
By Peter Panacy
49ers Pro Bowler No. 3: Left Tackle Trent Williams
OK, so offensive linemen rarely command the casual fan’s attention, and it’s no surprise why O-linemen never rank up there in total Pro Bowl votes.
That said, fans would be hard-pressed to select another lineman over Niners left tackle Trent Williams.
Williams, an eight-time Pro Bowler anyway, including his first year with San Francisco back in 2020, is a shoo-in to receive the same accolade again this season. And to justify it, all one needs to do is look at his Pro Football Focus 97.6 overall grade this season. That’s not only the highest among all tackles, it’s best among all NFL linemen this year, period.
Yes, PFF grades aren’t the end-all, be-all analysis points. But it does shed light on the notion no other lineman is earning as much recognition from PFF as Williams.
PFF also credits Williams with just one sack and three quarterback hits allowed on 306 pass-blocking snaps, which is elite-level production, and Williams’ run-blocking prowess remains elite, too.
Even though he’s not in the top five of Pro Bowl vote-getters, Williams is nevertheless playing at a top-five level.
Well, top-one in this case.