K’Waun Williams was a quietly vital piece of the 49ers’ No. 1 pass defense last season. The slot corner was so good, in fact, he landed on Touchdown Wire’s list of the 11 best slot defenders in the NFL.
In the modern NFL, defending the slot is an essential part of a good defense. Teams run so many three-plus wide receiver sets that losing that inside receiver makes it impossible for a defense to get stops. That wasn’t a problem for San Francisco and Williams last season.
Via TD Wire’s Doug Farrar:
He saw a lot of reps in 2017 and 2019, but 2019 was the season in which he became an indispensable part of a championship-level defense as an inside defender. Williams allowed 50 catches on 69 targets for 389 yards, 258 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, two interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 73.9.
Williams’ two interceptions tied for the 49ers’ team lead. While San Francisco had a rotation between Ahkello Witherspoon and Emmanuel Moseley going opposite Richard Sherman in 2019, Williams was a steady force inside who was arguably the team’s most underrated player in their run to the postseason. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk took a step further on Twitter and wrote that Williams is the NFL’s most underrated player:
Happy birthday to the most underrated player in the league! Silent assassin but an absolute monster!! 🦈 🦈 🦈 https://t.co/xBSRjxpkyw
— Kyle Juszczyk (@JuiceCheck44) July 12, 2020
While he may fly under the radar nationally, he won’t for much longer around the NFL if he builds off his success from last season. Williams is an unrestricted free agent after this year, and there will certainly be a market for him as teams continue looking for high-quality defenders in the slot. The 49ers have several high-profile players they need to re-sign next offseason, but Williams is one they can’t let go unnoticed.
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