Rust hasn’t been a factor for 49ers left tackle Trent Williams in his first live action since the 2018 season. He excelled against reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Nick Bosa during Thursday’s practice according to reporters on site.
Williams had four one-on-one matchups against Bosa and got the better of the defensive end three of the four times per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. Bosa was one of the NFL’s best defensive ends last season — racking up 80 regular-season pressures and another 15 in three postseason games. His 9.0 sacks were the second-most among 49ers.
San Francisco acquired Williams from Washington on Day 3 of this year’s draft. He missed all of 2019 due to a holdout and then the removal of a dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans — a cancerous growth — on his head.
There was some concern about Williams’ ability to return to peak form after a full season off at Age 31. Early returns indicate rust won’t be a factor though since Bosa is among the early favorites to win Defensive Player of the Year. While their matchups in camp are mostly inconsequential, they appears to show two of the best players in the league at their positions going at it.
Having one of the NFL’s best left tackles and one of the NFL’s best defensive ends would put San Francisco in a good position to put together another Super Bowl run.
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