Connor Colby has the best seat in the house for one of the most unusual late-career runs in the NFL, and the 49ers left guard says what stands out about Trent Williams has little to do with athleticism.

“I think the biggest thing I can take away from him is his attention to the little details,” Colby said. “I think it’s year 17 for him, and it still matters to him just as much as it did when he was younger.”

“So I think that’s the biggest thing I can take away from him, is just his attention to the little details. And I think that translates over to the field a lot,” he added.

Colby was quick to say the two do not play alike, so there is little to copy from Williams’ technique.

“We’re kind of two different,” Colby said. “He’s got a whole different skill set than I have. So obviously there’s not a lot of carryover there. But I think just the way he approaches the game, how he handles his business, is the biggest thing.”

That approach has been on display all season. Williams, a 12-time Pro Bowler, did not miss a single training camp practice, a first since he joined San Francisco in 2020.

He had always believed vet days were the way to stay fresh over a long season, but this year he handed control of his offseason schedule to the team’s performance staff. He told NBC Sports Bay Area he started the year in a better rhythm because of it, after tapering off too much last season and having to shake off rust once games began.

The results have teammates running out of ways to describe him. Right tackle Colton McKivitz told NBC Sports Bay Area it may be Williams’ best football since arriving in the Bay Area, citing his explosiveness and his hands and feet in pass protection. Right guard Dominick Puni went further.

“He’s 38 and I think he, right now, is the best offensive lineman in football, and I’m not kidding,” Puni said. “It’s hard to argue.”

Center Jake Brendel said the effort is as impressive as the talent. “I’ve never seen a guy play through more pain and more discomfort than I’ve seen him play through,” Brendel said.

The line around Williams has been a surprise of its own. Brendel has not allowed a sack since Week 16 of 2024, a streak of 921 snaps that ranks fifth in the league, according to PFF. Colby also credited quarterback Brock Purdy, saying his quick throws take pressure off the linemen.

Colby said learning Kyle Shanahan’s offense was not especially hard because he had some carryover from his final year at Iowa. The tougher adjustment was how San Francisco wants its linemen to block: running on angles rather than driving defenders vertically, as he did in college.