Trent Williams has deservedly developed a fearsome reputation, and a defensive lineman at the top of the 2025 NFL Draft is keen to find out if he lives up to the billing.
Trent Williams will be on the road to Canton whenever he decides to retire. For now, though, he remains in the NFL in search of the Super Bowl ring his glittering career deserves, and a prospect the 49ers could end up taking in the first round is very eager to go against him.
For most of the pre-draft process, it has seemed likely that Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham would be out of the 49ers’ reach with the No. 11 pick in the first round.
However, there appears to be increasing buzz that the Jacksonville Jaguars could look to a different prospect with the No. 5 pick, and both Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated and ESPN’s Peter Schrager had Graham falling out of the top 10 in their final mock drafts.
Graham landing with the 49ers is seemingly not out of the question, and that would be a very fun landing spot for many reasons, including his desire to take on their future Hall of Fame left tackle.
This is the craziest thing I’ve heard all week.
Mason Graham v Trent Williams pic.twitter.com/xH6vti9TAr
— Kay Adams (@heykayadams) April 24, 2025
Speaking to Kay Adams ahead of the draft in Green Bay, Graham was asked for the name of an offensive lineman in the NFL who he cannot wait to take on. Without hesitation, he replied: “I would just say, Trent Williams, I want to see maybe like a base block or have a run block against him, see what it really feels like. Everyone talks about it, so I want to see for myself.”
Graham should be at least a top-10 player in this draft, but if he falls to 11 and the 49ers pull the trigger, he would get the chance to go against Williams in every practice. That could be considered a case of ‘be careful what you wish for’, however, such an opportunity would likely be hugely beneficial for the development of a player who is already viewed as having a very high floor.
Maybe it’s written in the stars that he’ll wind up with the 49ers after those comments. We don’t have to wait much longer to find out.