The future Hall of Famer Trent Williams has been impressed with rookie Mykel Williams. Williams also spoke about competing against Nick Bosa
Trent Williams has played a lot of football. At 37, he understands that he can no longer get away with the same habits he had as a 21-year-old. The San Francisco 49ers‘ future Hall of Fame left tackle said, despite not feeling his age, “Things start to change.”
That goes from nutrition to your approach to the season. Williams spoke about his maturation as a person and how his competitive spirit still makes him feel like a rookie. Williams is in the one percent of top picks who end up outplaying their draft stock. In 2010, Williams was selected fourth overall by Washington. Fifteen years later, and he’s the best player at his position.
Williams has an eye for talent. Last year, his initial impressions of Dominick Puni proved to be spot on. Trent gave his initial impressions of the 49ers’ first-round rookie, Mykel Williams, at the podium on Thursday:
“Kel’s a huge dude, man. You generally don’t see guys that size on the edge. It sucks having to base block guys with arms as long as your legs. I think he has a chance to be a really good player. He has a chance to be dominant.
He has the best coach in the league pushing him. Get to learn from the best guys to learn from, obviously Nick [Bosa]. I think he has all of the tools to be All-Pro.”
The most drastic change we’ll notice about the 49ers’ defensive line this year will be going from a pair of defensive tackles that are 6’1” to a 6’5 1/8” Mykel Williams and a 6’5 5/8 Alfred Collins upfront.
Williams was asked if Mykel reminds him of anyone. Trent brought up a former top draft pick of the 49ers:
“Yes and no. Size-wise, he kind of puts you in the mind of DeForest Buckner. But, obviously, he’s a little more slight in the frame. He can play the edge, play the outside and inside. In a sense, he does. But he has his own makeup that kind of makes him different as well.
He’s an intriguing prospect, just watching him for a few days. Can’t wait to see where he ends up.”
Trent said he hung out with Mykel in Cabo last month. He said his goal is to build relationships that last a lifetime because he knows careers aren’t meant to last as long as his. He’s investing in the rookie off the field, which is something you can’t quantify that’ll inevitably pay off in Mykel’s career development.
The quicker the 49ers’ first-round pick reaches his ceiling, the easier Nick Bosa’s job will be. Williams will always gush about Bosa when presented with the opportunity. Here’s Trent on what it’s like going against Bosa:
“And obviously, going against Nick, we feed off each other so much. He makes me better. I like to feel like I make him better. He keeps me engaged. He keeps me working on myself.. Nobody likes to get embarrassed. He’s one of those players that, and not in a mean way, but he will embarrass me if I let him. And that’s just him making me better. It’s always good going against Nick.”
That’s a luxury that few, if any, teams in the NFL have. Williams is entering his 16th season and gets to gauge himself against a player two seasons removed from winning a Defensive Player of the Year award.
Williams said, “You never know where that cliff is,” referring to whether he’s fallen off or not. There’s no better way to find out than a couple of reps against Bosa.