Latest ESPN rankings show that 49ers LT Trent Williams is still great, but is no longer the gold standard

There's no doubt that 49ers left tackle Trent Williams will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day.

However, we still have a little time until he hangs up his cleats. Williams is under contract with San Francisco through the 2026 season, as he looks to top off his great career with a Super Bowl win.

The folks over at ESPN are continuing to release their 2025 position rankings, and revealed their top offensive tackles on Sunday. After topping the list in 2024, Williams fell to No. 4 this year. Here's what they had to say:

From ESPN: "The top-ranked tackle from the previous four years basically has played like a 25-year-old for more than a decade. But the injuries have started to pile up as Williams approaches his 37th birthday, as ankle issues have cost him games in each of the last two seasons. He's still excellent, allowing four sacks in 10 games in 2024 and driving the 49ers' potent running attack. But, somewhat surprisingly, Williams did not garner his normal share of No. 1 votes. Williams allowed an average time to pressure of 3.78 seconds last season, per Next Gen Stats, the longest among left tackles with at least 25 pressures allowed."

Health seems to be the main reason for Williams' slide, which is reaffirmed by this anonymous offensive coach:

"When he's clicking, there's still nobody better. He's the most powerful tackle I've ever seen." 

If Williams can put his injury woes behind him and continue to play at an elite level, he could reclaim the top spot in these rankings next year. It won't be easy as he enters his 15th NFL season, but if anyone can do it, Williams can. He may even have one more contract left in him, as he recently stated his goal is to play into his 40s.