Lost somewhat in the hubbub of the 2026 NFL Draft was the fact the San Francisco 49ers had come to terms with stalwart left tackle Trent Williams ahead of time, negating any serious need to find an immediate plug-and-play successor.
Details of the deal are beginning to emerge, and according to Spotrac, Williams will receive $24.5 million for 2026 with incentives not to hold out or miss offseason time into 2027, too.
All that is fine, provided the soon-to-be age-38 Williams can continue to play at a high level. That's a notable concern.
And it's one the Niners apparently feel they may have addressed during the draft.
Matt Maiocco suggests 49ers rookie is a key piece to Trent Williams succession plan
Not long after the Williams contract details went live, NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco broke down what San Francisco's long-term goals might be at the position, knowing fully well how the future Hall of Famer is approaching the twilight of his career.
According to Maiocco, the urgent need to find a successor is no longer there, thanks to the new contract, and it doesn't appear as if the 49ers are desperately seeking a long-term replacement.
If anything, it seems as if the Niners feel they already have a strong candidate: Kansas offensive tackle Enrique Cruz Jr., selected in Round 5 of the draft last April.
"Cruz (6-foot-5, 313 pounds) is viewed as a player with significant upside in the 49ers’ offensive scheme, which prioritizes athleticism in order to execute the team’s outside zone running system," Maiocco wrote. "Cruz ran a time of 4.94 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine and had the top speed of any offensive lineman, according to Next Gen Stats, at 20.69 mph."
Maiocco, one of San Francisco's pool reporters, has a good pulse on the inner-goings of the team, meaning he might be reflecting the 49ers' long-term intent of turning the rookie draftee into a top candidate to replace Williams.
That would be a hopeful draft-and-develop approach, banking on Cruz's long-term upside rather than where he'd project to fit right now.
But, as is always the case with any draftee, particularly those selected late, the chances of hitting on the pick are always low, and the Niners would be unwise to hinge their post-Williams hopes entirely on one late-round draft pick.
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