The San Francisco 49ers were fortunate enough to enter the offseason without any gaping holes in the roster and only further fortified the team via free agency and the draft. Notable free agent additions came largely on the defensive side of the ball with the signings of defensive tackle ï»żJavon Hargraveï»ż, cornerback ï»żIsaiah Oliverï»ż and defensive edge ï»żClelin Ferrellï»ż. In the 2023 NFL Draft, five of the 49ers nine selections were allocated to defensive picks, and the team traded up to lock down consensus prospect safety ï»żJi'Ayir Brownï»ż out of Penn State.
On the other side of the ball, the list of superstar talent carrying over from the 2022 season is quite extensive. Opposing defenses will have to contend with Pro Bowlers ï»żChristian McCaffreyï»ż, ï»żGeorge Kittleï»ż, ï»żKyle Juszczykï»ż and the dual-threat that is ï»żDeebo Samuelï»ż. Outside of the skills positions, San Francisco boasts arguably the most formidable offensive tackle in the league in All-Pro ï»żTrent Williamsï»ż. He's a 10-time Pro Bowler and earned First-Team All-Pro honors twice in his 14-year NFL career.
Williams landed in the top spot in Pro Football Focus' offensive tackling rankings heading into the 2023 season. The PFF staff left all rookies out of consideration while compiling this list, so all 32 players named have at minimum one year of experience. Williams has earned a 90.0-plus PFF overall grade in each of his seasons with the red and gold. In 2022, Williams closed out the year with a 91.7-overall grade, allowing a single sack and two quarterback hits in his 17 starts (regular and postseason).
Here's what the PFF's Gordon McGuinness wrote about Williams:
"Williams has been with the 49ers for three seasons now and has finished all three with the highest PFF grade among offensive tackles," McGuinness said. "From 526 pass-blocking snaps in the regular season and playoffs last season, he allowed 19 total pressures, just three of which were hits or sacks."
