49ers might have gotten a first-hand look at the player who can be their Trent Williams succession plan at the Senior Bowl
While the San Francisco 49ers have expressed confidence about Trent Williams' ability to return to his best in 2025 after missing the final seven games of the 2024 season with an ankle injury, there will come a point when they will need to find a successor for their future Hall of Fame left tackle. They […]
While the San Francisco 49ers have expressed confidence about Trent Williams' ability to return to his best in 2025 after missing the final seven games of the 2024 season with an ankle injury, there will come a point when they will need to find a successor for their future Hall of Fame left tackle.
They may not prioritize identifying his heir apparent in the first round of this year's draft, with the 11th overall pick seemingly more likely to be spent on a defensive linemen following the struggles the 49ers endured on that side of the trenches this past season.
And San Francisco arguably witnessed a very good reason not to use a first-round pick on a Williams successor this year at last week's Senior Bowl.
General manager John Lynch was in attendance for the week of practices in Mobile and was able to get a close look at offensive line vs. defensive line one-on-one drills from which there were several standouts on both sides.
Among them was NC State tackle Anthony Belton, who at 6ft 5in and 345 pounds made the most of his natural power and used his near 36-inch arms to his advantage while displaying excellent composure to consistently dominate against opposing pass rushers.
Perhaps even more intriguing for the 49ers were the movement skills Belton displayed in Mobile.
By scaling and combining speed, acceleration, and deceleration data from Zebra Technologies, A to Z Sports created our own custom On-Field Athleticism Score.
Belton finished with a score of 93.15, the highest of any offensive lineman at the Senior Bowl.
That is not to say Belton is a comparable athlete to Williams who is capable of clearing a path on outside zone runs in the same spectacular fashion as the 11-time Pro Bowler, but it points to athletic potential that could give him significant upside at the next level if he lands with the right team.
Where you can see shades of Williams is in how Belton finishes his blocks on tape. He plays with a violence that is reminiscent of the 49ers star, frequently sending defenders to the turf with devastating ease.
Belton is 25 pounds heavier than Williams, but their body types are similar and, in at least one aspect of pass protection, their playing styles are comparable.
Reaping the rewards of his playing style and his physical gifts, Belton had the fourth-highest Pro Football Focus grade among FBS tackles with at least 300 pass blocking snaps.
By contrast, he ranked just 69th in run block grade, reflective of some technique concerns that saw him viewed as a day-three prospect heading into the Senior Bowl.
Coming out of Mobile, Belton's stock should be firmly on the up, and he should certainly have piqued the interest of the 49ers as a potential Williams successor on whom they wouldn't have to spend a first-round pick.
Regardless of how and when they do so, it became obvious late last season through the injuries to Williams and to swing tackle Jaylon Moore that the 49ers need to address their tackle depth this offseason.
Drafting Belton would be an intriguing way to do so, giving the Niners a high-upside backup with traits that suggest he could develop into an ideal eventual replacement for Williams.
Of course, there is no guarantee that any prospect will follow the envisioned development arc. Progress is very rarely linear, but there is no better way to prepare a player to potentially replace Trent Williams than having him work with Trent Williams. Having a renowned offensive line coach in Chris Foerster also helps.
Foerster and the 49ers are of the belief they can develop offensive linemen into starters without spending premium picks. Asking a guy to succeed Williams is very different to asking him simply to be a starter, but there were enough flashes from Belton last week to indicate he is a prospect the 49ers can mold so that, when their all-time great left tackle does call it a career, they are perfectly prepared with a succession plan.
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