San Francisco 49ers: 5 Players Poised to Break Out in 2016
By Jerod Brown
Garrett Celek-Tight End
Garrett Celek is the younger brother of Philadelphia Eagles tight end Brent Celek. Head coach Chip Kelly surely has plans for the younger Celek if the production of Brent in Philadelphia is any indication. Kelly coached Brent to success during his time in Philadelphia and now he has the younger, more-athletic brother to utilize.
In 2015, Kelly’s Philadelphia Eagles tight ends combined for 1,251 receiving yards. Between Celek and Eagles tight end Zach Ertz, the team featured multiple two tight end sets and forced advantageous matchups for the offense.
The San Francisco 49ers will need to find that same production somewhere. Torrey Smith is currently the only receiver on the roster that has proven success in the NFL.
Although the 49ers seem content to trot out Smith as the number one receiver, he’ll need help from other offensive players. Celek, utilizing short-to-intermediate routes in Kelly’s offense, can benefit from the void in offensive firepower on the team.
The team extended Celek in late February and is in search of a new number one tight end. Celek essentially received a vote of confidence from the front office through the extension.
Vernon Davis has moved on and Vance McDonald has failed to secure the starting tight end spot. As such, Celek has an opportunity to stand out and become a featured aspect of Kelly’s offense in San Francisco. They need him to.
Celek hasn’t played more than 13 games in a season in his career. And his high is 13 games in 2013. Needless to say, the 49ers need Celek to get healthy and stay healthy for the entire season. If he can, expect him to have a breakout season and tally more than 600 receiving yards.
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