SANTA CLARA -- Trent Williams has only observed one 49ers practice since his return to the team facility, but has already noticed a difference in Trey Lance.
The All-Pro left tackle reported to the team’s mandatory minicamp on Monday and after team drills the following day, has already seen progress in the second-year quarterback. Williams believes that Lance has not only stepped into his natural role as a leader on the team, but also has improved on the field as well.
“His command, he is a lot more comfortable,” Williams said. “You can tell he worked on his mechanics, you can tell by his release. He has taken huge steps in the offseason and I can’t wait to see how he looks when the live bullets get to flying.”
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While the young quarterback himself downplayed discussion about his arm motion when he spoke to the media, Williams saw the change.
“Just cleaning stuff up, using my lower half,” Lance said. “I know everyone talks about the throwing motion in your slo-mo video and all that. It really wasn’t as much as you guys think, everyone has their own opinion on it, but for me it’s about getting the ball out accurately.”
As far as being a leader, Williams believes that Lance has always acted as one both in the building and on the field. While the 22-year-old might have felt like he was in a “weird spot” last year sitting quietly behind Jimmy Garoppolo, the left tackle never noticed any awkwardness.
“I couldn’t tell that he was in a weird spot last year so seeing him in the locker room now, I don’t really see a difference in him,” Williams said. “I think he carries himself extremely well which is why he is here and it’s why everyone is so high on him.
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“We all know his attributes as a quarterback. I think his mentality, the way he carries himself, the way he holds his head, nothing ever rattles him. That’s his key feature and I think that will take him a long way.”
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Williams added that considering Lance’s age, the quarterback’s maturity is surprising. Barely the legal drinking age for a year while going through the process of what transpired in his rookie season, there were never any issues -- at least not publicly.
For many, the pressure would be too much to bear, let alone act in a calm and respectable manner. Williams noticed Lance acting well beyond his 22 years.
“Surprising to see a guy with that much on his shoulders and see a guy with so much publicity especially here,” Williams said. “To see him continue to march forward and continue to get better and block out all the noise is phenomenal.”