Former Oklahoma Sooners OL named to NFL Top 100 players list
Playing left tackle for the San Francisco 49ers, Williams was ranked 45th overall on the list, a steep drop from 2024, when he was inside the top ten. Ankle injuries last season snapped an 11-year streak of Pro Bowl appearances, but Williams is still one of the best tackles in the game, especially when healthy.
Each year, the rankings are voted on by NFL players themselves, with Williams ranking as the best offensive lineman in the league on last summer's edition of the list. He'll look to get back to that form and back to full health this season.
Despite nagging injuries, Williams still had the sixth-highest overall grade for tackles, according to Pro Football Focus. He allowed only one sack in 10 games. He's been one of the best players in the game since his arrival to San Francisco in 2020.
Washington selected Williams with the fourth overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. Williams was part of the famous "Oklahoma Draft" in 2010, where the Sooners accounted for three of the top four overall picks. He followed Sam Bradford (Rams) and Gerald McCoy (Buccaneers).
Williams was a three-and-a-half-year starter at OU from 2006 to 2009. He was a vital part of the 2008 Oklahoma offense that scored a then-record 702 total points (in just 14 games), and he was named an AFCA All-American after his senior season in 2009.
Williams' time in the NFL has been marked with consistency and excellence, especially when he's been healthy. He helped San Francisco win the NFC and make it to Super Bowl LVIII after the 2023 season, and he's played in two other NFC Championship Games with the 49ers (2021 and 2022). Williams signed a three-year $82 million deal last offseason to stay in San Francisco.
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New York Times
27 minutes ago
- New York Times
Meet the 49ers undrafted rookie (with a superhero nickname) pushing for a roster spot
Even before he was the 'Hulk,' San Francisco 49ers rookie defensive tackle Sebastian Valdez was getting coaches' attention. 'The very first time I ever saw the kid, he was probably 235 pounds,' Montana State defensive coordinator Shawn Howe said in a telephone interview. 'I just watched him do a couple drills, and I said, 'That's the future of the three-tech position here at Montana State.'' Valdez already had the frame, twitchiness and tenacity. Now, 66 pounds of muscle later, he has a real shot of cracking the 49ers' 53-man roster. Valdez smiled when he heard the Niners' veteran offensive linemen call him 'Hulk.' It's not the first time he has heard the nickname as he has tried to push himself to the NFL. The 6-foot-3, 301-pounder was undrafted out of Washington — after making a tough decision to transfer from Montana State — but has turned some pretty important heads. Advertisement Coach Kyle Shanahan said Valdez was the player who 'flashed the most' in Saturday's preseason opener against the Denver Broncos. 'He's been flashing a lot in practice,' Shanahan added. 'He's been a problem in one-on-ones, and it looked like he played the run well today. 'When our (offensive line) coach talks about him in practice, that means he's doing some stuff, and it was good to see it carry over to the game today.' Flashes from the rookie ⚡️ — San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) August 10, 2025 The block of granite had half a sack and a tackle for loss against the Broncos and, just like in college, opened up things for his teammates. 'It was a good time … it was super fun,' Valdez said. 'I wasn't nervous at all. I am just going out there trying to execute to the best of my ability and do what I'm told.' Smash. Hulk, smash. Valdez benched pressed 225 pounds 34 times at his pro day at Washington. Now, he is stacking up good days at training camp. 'When he gets opportunities against the first(-team) O-line … as he keeps proving that he's better than what he's going against, he'll get chances to go against better competition,' defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said after practice Tuesday. 'From there, if he continues, then he'll continue his rise. He still has a lot of time to prove that he can make it.' Valdez had his choice of teams as an undrafted free agent, and he thought the 49ers and Saleh were the best fit. 'I think the scheme fit me the best,' he said. 'The 49ers are known to be a very dominant front, and when you look at tape from them, you want to be part of that team, and you want to be a part of that scheme.' The 49ers have had some injuries on the defensive line, which has opened the door for Valdez — just like it did at Montana State. He had started hitting the weight room hard at Monte Vista High near San Diego, and was a strong 235 pounds when Howe first noticed him. The plan was for Valdez to build his weight up gradually, but Valdez was forced to play because of injuries in his first year in 2021. Advertisement After that, there was no stopping him. ''He would eat, go work out, then go eat and then come back, and you'd see him in there rolling out his whole body, stretching, stretching with bands,' Howe said. 'He didn't just get bigger. He got faster, twitchier, more flexible.' Montana State used a 'cheetah' package, designed for four defensive ends, on passing downs … but Valdez never came off the field. 'Every week, I would walk across the field, and somebody would shake my hand and say, 'We just can't block 95,'' Howe said. Though he didn't have huge stats — 12 sacks total from 2021-23, Valdez helped the Bobcats lead the FCS in sacks in 2023. 'I figured then that I could really be a special player, and props to my college coach, Sean Howe, for really believing me and crafting me into the player that I am,' Valdez said. 'There have been moments of doubt, and my first day here with the 49ers was a little overwhelming. 'But I know I can overcome anything, and I know I'm an NFL player at heart.' Howe knew it as well. He called Valdez after the Broncos game to tell him how proud he was. The two remain close even after Valdez transferred to Washington for a chance to get back to the West Coast (not to mention a wad of cash and a car). 'It was brutal,' Howe said of Valdez transferring. 'It was tough because he's so loved by his teammates and coaches, right? And we developed this dude. He was our guy. 'But he has such great character. He told me he was just going to look at the one school and ignored the other big schools who were offering more money. … I just think the way he dealt with the process was very, very mature and very well thought out.' 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New York Times
27 minutes ago
- New York Times
Why Kenneth Walker III could be the biggest beneficiary of the Seahawks' new offense
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Charbonnet is the better pass protector, so he has gotten most of the snaps in obvious passing situations and two-minute drills. The setup should be similar this season, given how explosive Walker has looked in practice. But it's worth noting that when Kubiak was asked during a KIRO-AM radio interview to list the qualities that make up an elite running back in today's game, he spoke highly of Charbonnet. 'No. 1 is intelligence,' Kubiak said. 'No. 2 is availability, guys that are available the whole game. The best backs I've been around are super smart. Guys that you give them difficult game plans, and they can go out and make adjustments. Our top two guys are doing really good things, but Charbonnet, his mental approach to the game is extremely impressive. He does not flinch. If he ever has a question, you know you didn't coach it good enough, because he's that on it.' 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New York Times
27 minutes ago
- New York Times
Broncos' Kris Abrams-Draine was thrown into the fire as a rookie. It's paying off now.
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Abrams-Draine intercepted Justin Herbert in a nationally televised Week 16 game in Los Angeles — only the third pick thrown by the Chargers quarterback all season — and ultimately got 123 defensive snaps of experience. A relatively small sample, sure, but Payton said it's easy to see how those reps, which came in the heat of Denver's playoff chase, helped launch the young cornerback into a sharper offseason. The rookie Kris Abrams-Draine picks off Herbert in the end zone!#DENvsLAC on Prime VideoAlso streaming on #NFLPlus — NFL (@NFL) December 20, 2024 'The tail end of last year, his play and his confidence, you have a stretch of, like, four weeks where, all of a sudden, that can carry over into the next year,' Payton said. 'He's someone who prefers to play off, keep the ball in front and break on the ball. I like his ball skills, and I like between the ears. He's very smart.' Abrams-Draine has epitomized in this camp the depth the Broncos have built defensively this offseason. He is currently slated behind Moss and Surtain at outside corner, but he has looked in camp like a player more than capable of holding up in a starting role. The same is true at nearly every level of the defense. Justin Strnad started nine games for the Broncos last season, including the playoff matchup with the Buffalo Bills, and is now a trusted reserve behind Alex Singleton and Dre Greenlaw. The Broncos brought in Talanoa Hufanga to pair with Brandon Jones, turning P.J. Locke, who has started 23 games for the team across the past two seasons, into something of a super sub in the back end. Ja'Quan McMillian, who ended Tuesday's practice with an interception of Bo Nix, has given the Broncos strong play at the nickel position the past two years as a starter, and now he's sharing work at that position with first-round pick Jahdae Barron. Promising rookies Sai'vion Jones and Que Robinson, both of whom had splash plays in their preseason debut Saturday, have provided an influx of talent to an already stacked defensive front. 'We're definitely deeper,' Payton said Tuesday. 'You guys have all written about tough (roster) decisions. … Those are all indications that there is a little bit more depth than in years past. Generally speaking, that creates that higher level of performance, that competition, and then it becomes, 'How do we keep trying to give these guys opportunities where it gives us more exposure?'' Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has delivered a clear message to his unit since the start of camp: Everyone will be needed at some point. Abrams-Draine lived that truth last year when he was shoved into the mix late in the season. So even as he's making clear steps forward in his second NFL season, he isn't letting himself get caught up in when his next opportunity will come. 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