Quinnen Williams is on a Bay Area tour this week. The elite NFL draft prospect flew in Monday for visits with the 49ers and Raiders, a source told NBC Sports Bay Area.
He had dinner with the 49ers shortly after arriving with a Santa Clara stop scheduled for Tuesday. He will make his way to Alameda for a Raiders visit Wednesday.
This won’t be a first for either team. There was interaction at the NFL Scouting Combine and again at Alabama’s Pro Day. He had dinner with 49ers GM John Lynch at a Tuscaloosa IHOP just before that, a meal on par with his Oreo cookie fuel-up before the combine’s 40-yard dash.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Both the Raiders and 49ers have Williams under consideration to be selected early in the NFL draft. The 49ers own the No. 2 pick, and the Raiders sit at No. 4.
There’s a lot to love about Williams. He was a downright dominant Alabama nose guard last year, his first after moving in from defensive end. He had 71 tackles from the defensive interior(!!), including 19.5 for a loss and eight sacks. One prominent NFL draft analyst said Williams was college football’s most consistently dominant player on tape.
He’s also an easy-going personality with a quick sense of humor and is considered a great teammate. Williams has high football IQ and can break down tape as well as anyone.
[RELATED: Quinnen Williams never takes rise to the top for granted]
San Francisco 49ers
Find the latest San Francisco 49ers news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
The Raiders and 49ers will see that this week as they weigh which players to take early in the NFL draft. NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco has reported Ohio State’s Nick Bosa is a strong favorite to be drafted by the 49ers if he doesn’t go No. 1 to the Arizona Cardinals. If Bosa goes first, Williams and Kentucky edge rusher Josh Allen could go at No. 2.
The Raiders also like Bosa but don’t expect him to be around at No. 4. They have great respect for Williams and Allen. Williams could be a realistic option if he’s available at No. 4.