Future Hall of Fame left tackle Trent Williams of the San Francisco 49ers sees a lot of himself in second-year Minnesota Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw.
The fourth overall pick in the 2010 draft, Williams has earned nine consecutive Pro Bowl nods since 2012, a run the Vikings are hoping Darrisaw, selected 23rd in the 2021 draft, can emulate.
Williams was put in contact with Darrisaw earlier this year by the Vikings under first-year general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who started his career as an executive with the 49ers. While they kept correspondence throughout the year, the two tackles met during joining practices.
And Williams likened himself to Darrisaw, making a bold statement that Vikings tackle could very well be on a path to becoming a perennial Pro Bowler.
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Darrisaw Idolizes Williams, Who ‘Sees a Lot of Himself’ in Vikings LT
In an August 18 Pioneer Press article, Williams spoke on his developing relationship with Darrisaw.
“I love C.D.,’’ Williams said of Darrisaw, per the Pioneer Press. “He’s a great kid. He’s open and willing to learning. He’s physically gifted. … I do see a lot of myself in him, especially the young Trent.”
Darrisaw grew up watching Williams, who played for the Washington Commanders from 2010 to 2018 before joining San Francisco in 2019. Darrisaw said Williams was his “favorite player,” per the Pioneer Press, making Williams the ideal mentor to the product out of Virginia Tech.
“That’s my guy. We connected this offseason through FaceTime. We talked it up a little bit. But I keep in contact with Trent, one of the greats for left tackle. He was my favorite player because I grew up in Washington,” Darrisaw said in an August 17 Pioneer Press article.
“Our conversations are me just kind of helping him morph into a more consistent professional,” Williams added. “He took a huge leap from year one to year two. And it’s just the little things. He’s such an athlete that he overlooks the technical part of the game because he can just wake up and win (with his blocking).”
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‘Wake Up & Win,’ Darrisaw’s Next Step
Darrisaw, who didn’t test at the NFL Combine while recovering from a groin injury, flashed uber athleticism to compliment his 6-foot-5, 315-pound frame — both born traits that Williams leaned on earlier in his career before refining his technique in becoming Pro Bowl tackle.
“That’s how I got through college (at Oklahoma), that’s how I got through my first three or four years in the NFL,’’ Williams said. “I still have bad habits going back to that, so that’s all I’m working on (Darrisaw) about, just kind of letting him know what’s to come, what changes to make and what could help him.”
Darrisaw’s athleticism is evident when he gets out and runs. Coming back from groin surgery, Darrisaw didn’t start until Week 6 of the 2021 season but soon emerged as the best run-blocker among rookie offensive tackles.
Over the final 8 weeks of the regular season, Christian Darrisaw earned an 85.4 run blocking grade
Highest among rookie Offensive Tackles‼️
With a healthy offseason under his belt, Darrisaw is already showing potential to take a giant step in Year 2.
“Darrisaw got off to a late start to his rookie year due to a preseason injury. He ended up playing in 11 games and posted a 71.8 PFF grade over that span, ranking 20th of 39 qualifying left tackles,” Pro Football Focus’ Anthony Treash wrote at the regular season’s conclusion in January. “The first-round pick’s run-blocking stood out in particular — Darrisaw posted a 77.2 grade in that facet. Not only is that the sixth-best among left tackles for the 2021 season, but it’s also the fourth-best by a rookie at the position in the last decade. Needless to say, the future looks promising for the Virginia Tech product.”
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Future 49ers Hall of Famer Sounds off on Vikings Lineman