Trent Williams turns 37 years old a week before the 49ers report to training camp this summer.
When president of football operations/general manager John Lynch said Williams is returning for another season — although nothing had been reported to the contrary — it was considered a notable offseason update.
In other words, it is time for the 49ers to prepare for that inevitable time when Williams, an 11-time Pro Bowl performer, no longer is lining up at left tackle for San Francisco.
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Could that time come in late-April when the 49ers select at No. 11 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft?
With his performance at the NFL Scouting Combine perhaps giving him a boost, Missouri offensive line prospect Armand Membou is a solid candidate to be that person for the 49ers.
“I like watching Trent,” said Membou, who revealed he had a formal interview with the 49ers at the combine in Indianapolis.
Membou was the 49ers’ selection this week in the latest NBC Sports Bay Area first-round mock draft.
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If Membou lasts until the No. 11 overall pick, the 49ers have to consider giving him the opportunity to see a lot more of Williams as teammates.
Membou mostly played right tackle at Missouri, so it remains to be seen if he eventually could play left tackle in the NFL. And some teams might view Membou more as a guard at the next level.
Regardless, Membou is a rare combination of size (6-foot-4, 332 pounds) and athleticism. His height is not ideal for an NFL offensive tackle, but he stacks up in every other way.
“I think most teams think I'm athletically capable enough to play tackle, but it just depends on what their needs are,” Membou said.
Toward the end of the combine, the NFL Network flashed a graphic on the screen. Since 2003, only three offensive linemen have weighed 315 or more at the combine, had a vertical leap of at least 30 inches and ran a time of sub-5 seconds in the 40-yard dash. Two of those players participated in this year’s combine: Membou and LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell.
The others were Tristan Wires, whom the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL last year, and . . . you guessed it, Williams.
Membou had a vertical leap of 34 inches and ran the 40 in 4.91 seconds.
Williams checked in at 6-5, 315 at the combine in 2010. His vertical was 34.5 inches and his 40 time was 4.88. Washington selected him with the No. 4 overall pick in the draft.
Campbell has been considered the consensus choice as the top offensive lineman up to this point in the draft process.
Now, it would not be a shock to see Membou's name called first during the draft, which begins Thursday, April 24.
The only drawback on Campbell are his shorter-than-ideal arms at 32 5/8 inches. Membou’s arm length is 33 1/2.
The only question with Membou is whether it’s a reach that he even will be available when the 49ers make their first selection of the draft.