Niner Noise
FanSided

San Francisco 49ers: Ranking Each Position in 2016 by Strength

By Peter Panacy

November 8, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Garrett Celek (88) is congratulated by tight end Vance McDonald (89) and wide receiver Bruce Ellington (10) for scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Levi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: USA Today Sports
November 8, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Garrett Celek (88) is congratulated by tight end Vance McDonald (89) and wide receiver Bruce Ellington (10) for scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Levi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: USA Today Sports /
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November 8, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Garrett Celek (88) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons during the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
November 8, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Garrett Celek (88) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons during the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Tight End

Best Player: Garrett Celek

Worst Player: Vance McDonald

X-Factor: Bruce Miller

The 49ers no longer will have to worry about whether or not veteran tight end Vernon Davis will show up during the regular season. He’s with the Washington Redskins now, and the door is open for younger players to step up into the fray.

We saw some of this last season, as depth tight ends Garrett Celek and Vance McDonald started to contribute on the score sheet. The latter’s hands are a major concern however, and McDonald is quickly reaching “bust” status after being selected in Round 2 of the 2013 NFL Draft.

2016 will likely be a make-or-break season for him.

San Francisco may hope to get contributions from up-and-coming tight ends like Blake Bell, Busta Anderson or even wide receiver/tight end-hybrid Devon Cajuste.

But one of the bigger X-factors for the 49ers offense this year will be fullback Bruce Miller, who will be seeing time at the tight end position.

Head coach Chip Kelly isn’t known for utilizing fullbacks in his offense, but negating Miller’s impact would be a major mistake. Moving the fullback to a role in which his skill set can be maximized is a good idea. Miller just has to make the necessary adjustments.

Still, there isn’t a lot of proven commodities here. Yes, Celek and McDonald have had their positive moments, and Miller could be a factor, but the tight end position could easily be a weakness in 2016.

Tier 5

Next: Wide Receiver