Is Trent Williams Having His Best Season Yet?

“You look at his age, he’s still to me the most talented guy,” said Shanahan. “I don’t see many people more talented than him. So usually when, as you get older in age, the talent goes and you still can execute a level with wisdom and experience. But I see the same talent and I think he’s got a lot more wisdom and experience.”

With fellow all-stars on the 49ers offense such as Jimmy Garoppolo surpassing 10,000 career passing yards and Deebo Samuel not only receiving, but blocking and rushing up and down the field, it can be hard to draw your attention to the trenches. However, general manager John Lynch is adamant that Williams’ talent isn’t overlooked.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a player have this dominant of a year, and it goes unnoticed because he’s a left tackle,” Lynch said on KNBR. “He is such a good player. Everyone should really just stop and try to focus in on him, because it’s a beautiful thing to watch.”

Whether it’s a formula of talent and experience or an art of the game, Williams has mastered his craft. The former Sooner sits ahead of La’el Collins (Dallas Cowboys) and Braden Smith (Indianapolis Colts) with the highest run blocking grade among offensive tackles this season with an almost-perfect grade of 98.5 according to Pro Football Focus. Yielding only one sack this season, his overall grade is the highest of his career and the highest of any NFL player in any position at 97.6 through Week 11.

“I expect Trent to be one of the best players on the field every week,” said Shanahan, whose relationship with Williams dates back to 2010 during their time together with the Washington Football Team. “Everyone knows how talented Trent is and the way he plays, he enjoys playing. And he’s been playing at an extremely high level this year… Just consistency and playing up to that level every week, but we’re just past halfway there. So, he’s got a lot more to go and we need him to play like an A-player this week too.”

As Williams and the 49ers set off to face the Minnesota Vikings in Week 12, the veteran sits eighth in his position in Pro Bowl votes despite leading the league in his PFF performance grade.