With 49ers OTAs in full swing, we’re taking a position-by-position look at the team’s roster to figure out the strengths, weaknesses, potential dark horses to make the team and other nuggets about the players who will be competing for jobs on the 53-man roster.
There won’t be a ton of turnover on the 49ers’ roster this season, but the tight end room could get a pretty significant makeover.
San Francisco since George Kittle’s emergence as a star at the position hasn’t done much to invest in players behind him on the depth chart. They’ve gotten capable play from players like Ross Dwelley and Charlie Woerner, but Dwelley was undrafted and Woerner was a sixth-round pick who was known for his blocking. Free agent ads like Jordan Reed and Tyler Kroft have been mostly uninspiring.
It’s been clear they’re trying to at least find another player capable of taking some of the pass catching onus off of Kittle. Having a second TE who can get out in routes and affect the passing game would give head coach Kyle Shanahan another wrinkle of versatility to throw at defenses.
This year they invested two draft picks in the position, leaving the door open for a significant overhaul at a position group that’s been mostly stagnant over the last four seasons.
Let’s dive into the 49ers’ offseason roster at tight end:
George Kittle
Kittle’s career-high 11 touchdowns last season indicated a shift in the way he can impact the 49ers’ offense beyond his superb blocking. His days of catching 80-plus balls for 1,000 yards are likely behind him with an influx of talent at the skill positions over the last few years. However, he’s still a superb athlete who’s difficult to tackle in the open field. He also showed an improved feel in the red zone last season with a career-best five of his touchdowns coming in that area. Over the last two years he has nine red-zone TDs after posting just seven in his first four seasons. With plenty of space generated by his teammates it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Kittle’s TD production stay up even if his overall pass-catching production dips.
Charlie Woerner
We don’t need to get deep into the TE roster to find a player on the bubble. Woerner is entering the final year of his rookie contract and he’s yet to break out at all as a receiver. To make matters worse he’s not elevated himself to an elite level as a blocker. Last year he appeared to regress after finding his way a little bit in 2021. He isn’t a bad player and he probably has the inside track to a roster spot thanks to his knowledge of the offense. Woerner will need a strong camp to earn his spot as the TE2 behind Kittle.
Ross Dwelley
The 49ers re-signed Dwelley to a one-year deal this offseason. He’s been a little more effective as a receiver than Woerner, but he was eclipsed by the 2020 sixth-round pick on the depth chart during the 2021 campaign. Dwelley will enter the offseason as the third tight end, and his ability to make the team will come down to whether he outperforms Woerner, or if the team keeps four TEs.
Cameron Latu
The 49ers used their final of three third-round picks to select Latu in this year’s draft. He was primarily a blocker for his first three seasons at Alabama before becoming more prominent in the passing game over his last two years. Latu in that two-year stretch to close his time with the Crimson Tide posted 56 catches for 787 yards and 12 touchdowns. His trajectory as a pass catcher makes him an intriguing option for the 49ers. There’ll be a tall mountain to climb as he learns the offense and aims to improve his blocking at the NFL level, and he’ll need to show off his upside as a receiver to make an impact early on.
Brayden Willis
Willis was the second TE taken by the 49ers in this year’s draft. He was a seventh-round choice out of Oklahoma and brings a lot of athletic upside. It’s easy to see how he’d fit in as a move blocker and there’s a chance he develops into a TE who lines up all over the field in either run or pass situations. There’ll be the normal rookie hurdles for him entering the offseason and training camp. The key with Willis though will be how he makes his mark as a receiver. If he can flash some upside there it could move him into a spot where he has a real role out of the gate.
Troy Fumagalli
Fumagalli was added this offseason and has a lot of familiarity with the 49ers after spending last offseason with the team. He was also on the practice squad for the first half of the year. The odds he makes the team aren’t particularly high, but he has a leg up on the two rookies in knowing the offense. Perhaps he puts together a really great training camp and sneaks into the conversation for a roster spot. His path to sticking around will more likely be through the practice squad though.
