Trent Williams, the San Francisco 49ers’ veteran offensive tackle, continues to defy Father Time. A year after NFL evaluators ranked him the 4th-best offensive tackle in the league, Williams earned the 2nd-highest rating at age 37. The ranking cements his status as one of the most dominant linemen in football and raises a fascinating question about just how long elite talent can sustain itself at the position.

What makes this ranking so rare

The context around Williams’ placement tells the real story. The top-rated tackle in the rankings is Penei Sewell, who is 25 years old. The third-best tackle, Tristan Wirfs, is 27. That averages out to 26 years old, two players right in the middle of their athletic primes.

Williams is over a decade older than both of them. He’s nearly 40 years old, playing one of the most physically demanding positions in the NFL, and evaluators across the league still view him as a consensus top-3 offensive tackle. That speaks to the longevity of his career, but more importantly, it speaks to how special he is as a player.

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The film and the numbers still back it up

Some of the evaluators acknowledged a slight decline, noting that it may take Williams a bit longer to get going when the season starts compared to years past. But when he’s locked in, Williams is like a closer on the mound who still throws over 100 miles an hour. If he’s dealing, you have no shot.

When Trent Williams is on during a game, it doesn’t matter who lines up across from him. Nick Bosa, Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt, pick your pass rusher. Williams will shut him down. The film backs it up. The numbers back it up. And that combination of tape and data is what keeps him entrenched near the top of these rankings year after year.

The bottom line on Williams’ standing

The truth is, what Trent Williams is doing at this stage of his career borders on unprecedented for an offensive tackle. The position demands elite athleticism, quick feet, and sustained power on every snap. Those are traits that erode with age for nearly every player in the league. Williams has managed to maintain all of them well past the point where most tackles have either retired or transitioned into a lesser role.

I believe this is the correct rating for Williams. In my opinion, there’s a reasonable argument he could be even higher, but splitting hairs between him, Sewell, and Wirfs at the top of the list is a luxury problem for evaluators. The fact that he’s in that conversation at 37 tells you everything you need to know about the kind of player Trent Williams has been and continues to be.