Why the 49ers Likely Will Extend Trent Williams

This is a bad year to be shopping at tackle; the top of the market is 26-year-old Rasheed Walker of Green Bay, solid in pass pro but weak in run blocking. That’s also true of 31-year-old Jermaine Eleumenor of the Giants and Braden Smith, 29, of the Colts.

The best option for a tackle that’s effective in both is Chicago’s Braxton Jones, 26. However, he injured his knee in late October and has missed an average of over seven games a year the last three seasons due to injuries.

No quality tackles are expected to be cap casualties, reflecting the importance the league places on the position and the lack of quality supply.

Given the options, free agency is not a viable source for a starting left tackle this year.

Draft

Georgia’s Monroe Freeling is the highest-rated tackle that could theoretically fall to the 49ers 1st round pick at 27. Freeling blossomed late in the season, but he’s only made 16 career starts and would face trial by fire as a rookie. He needs a year of development.

Caleb Lomu of Utah is another option; however, when he faced his top competition against BYU, the 49ers didn’t send a scout to the game. They don’t appear to be interested.

Kadyn Proctor of Alabama is a 6-7/360 mountain, but Shanahan has avoided players of that body type in the past. Proctor at 320 would be of interest, but at his current size, he’s probably not on the radar. Proctor also gave up 22 pressures this year, the highest of any tackle projected in the first three rounds.

Max Iheanachor of Arizona State gathered interest in Mobile. He took to the coaching and played well in the game. Great athlete, but new to football and a project that plays with too high a pad level right now. He also needs a year to learn and put in the body work.

Caleb Tiernan of Northwestern is expected to go in the late 2nd to mid-3rd round. He’s the best technician in the draft, textbook. At 6-7/320, he can have trouble lunging and also needs to add power; he’s not a mauler.

Blake Miller of Clemson is another tackle who needs to power up to have success in the league, more of a barrier than a bulldozer in the run game.

The top tackles in the late first round and beyond are not ready for prime time. If the Niners let Williams go and draft his replacement, I’m not convinced they make the playoffs.

Trade

This is complicated by a team needing to get Williams to agree to an extension before acquiring him, which makes a trade unlikely.

Shanahan and Lynch

Neither has been extended, creating some pressure on them to deliver this year. So given that, I can’t see either of them letting Williams go when the downgrade to a new starter is this steep.

Fans are unhappy with Williams going back to the well for another extension so quickly, but the same will be true of Christian McCaffrey. This continues to be a problem when Shanahan won’t invest in refreshing the core on offense. If Williams is cut or traded, the Niners would only save $4.7 million on the cap.

Williams is due a $10 million roster bonus in March; free agency begins on the 11th. That will serve as a potential deadline to get an extension done.

One other factor here is Jed York and Paraag Maarathe. Williams will probably want two years guaranteed, at highest paid tackle in the NFL money, with a huge signing bonus upfront. The Yorks have made big cash payments in recent years but pushed back on the Brandon Aiyuk contract. It’s possible that while Shanahan and Lynch lobby for Williams to be signed, ownership decides the contract and the bonus are too high for a player who will be 38 next season.

I don’t think the situation with Williams will force the Niners' hand to draft a tackle in the first, unless of course they let him walk. I don’t see that happening, and if Williams is extended, I expect Shanahan to continue to kick the can at tackle in the draft. While the Niners could look at guard early, I think they’re more likely to draft an offensive lineman with one or more of the three comp picks in the late 4th round.