Post-Trent Williams Plan for the 49ers
The 2025 NFL Draft has now passed, and the offseason has now officially died down for most teams. However, the 49ers’ offseason has truly just begun, and decisions about the future of the team still need to be made. One position the team will need to figure out is their Trent Williams successor at left tackle. Williams will be 37 when the 2025 season begins, and over the past few seasons, it seems he has missed a major chunk of games due to injury. In addition, with his age, he is now in a situation every offseason where the question of whether he could potentially retire arises. There are more questions than answers when it comes to Williams at this point in his career.
This concern hasn’t stopped the 49ers front office from sticking with their normal offensive draft philosophy and minimizing the priority of adding a young offensive lineman who could potentially succeed Williams in the future. Last season, right guard Dominick Puni transitioned well into the 49ers’ blocking scheme as a rookie and looks to be the starter at that position for the next decade. Particularly in this past draft, the Las Vegas Raiders selected both Texas Tech’s Caleb Rogers and William & Mary’s Charles Grant with picks 98 and 99, while San Francisco sat at 100. Those two prospects were potentially targets for the 49ers at the end of the third round. The team followed this by not addressing the offensive line until the seventh round when they selected Iowa’s Connor Colby.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan enjoys drafting playmakers who fit his scheme more than players who establish the offensive trenches. It is quite the philosophy from the 49ers. NFC teams like the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions have developed their offensive line as one of their biggest strengths by drafting them every year, and it has been a factor in their recent success. Most recently, the Eagles completed the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl, an achievement San Francisco has fallen short of many times before.
Meanwhile, the 49ers have been active in the offensive line market in free agency rather than the draft. Earlier this week, they signed 31-year-old offensive tackle D.J. Humphries, who last played for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024. Humphries becomes a valuable addition with the likely scenario that Williams misses games. The left guard competition in training camp will also be intriguing between Spencer Burford and Ben Bartch. Both players have started a significant number of NFL games as they earn another chance to prove they can be valuable starters. Burford is in the last year of his rookie contract, while the team just signed Bartch to a one-year extension this offseason.
San Francisco has failed to address their offensive line with the future of the unit in mind. The team has already lost Aaron Banks and swing tackle Jaylon Moore this offseason. Looking ahead, players like Burford, Bartch, and right tackle Colton McKivitz will be free agents, and Williams’ retirement will be around the corner. The holes on the offensive line will become more gaping with the lack of replacements on the roster. It isn’t a great sign for the team moving forward as they also attempt to give Brock Purdy a hefty contract this offseason. As we look immaturely ahead to the 2026 offseason, I would be shocked if Shanahan and John Lynch decide not to prioritize the offensive line in a major way.
