San Francisco 49ers: Who is tight end George Kittle?
By Peter Panacy
Niner Noise’s annual “Who Is?” series on 2017 San Francisco 49ers players continues. And in this installment, we look at promising rookie tight end George Kittle and his chances to make a serious impact this season.
George Kittle may wind up being the San Francisco 49ers’ No. 1 tight end by the end of his rookie season.
Tight end is a position likely to go through some significant changes this offseason. San Francisco already brought in veteran free-agent Logan Paulsen as well as undrafted free-agent Cole Hikutini. All three figure to challenge returnees Vance McDonald, Garrett Celek and Blake Bell for roster spots.
But Kittle may wind up being the biggest contributor, eventually, even if his collegiate numbers at Iowa suggest otherwise:
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 6/15/2017.
Stats aren’t always the best indicators of mid- and late-round NFL Draft picks. So we should look at more of the intangibles for the Niners’ fifth-round draftee and see how they play into head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offensive plans this season and beyond.
Fortunately, we’ve already laid out some of the groundwork in this piece on why Kittle could easily wind up being a huge steal out of this year’s draft haul.
Related Story: Why tight end George Kittle may be the steal of the NFL Draft
But what else should we expect out of Kittle when evaluating both his strengths and weaknesses? And is there a realistic shot for him to start right away when the 2017 regular season kicks off?
Let’s see.
Why He’ll Improve
At 6-foot-4 and 247 pounds, Kittle has an ideal frame to be a prolific receiving tight end in almost any offense. One of the main things to consider here is his 4.52 40-yard time, which ranked third out of all competing tight ends at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Pair this with an excellent blocking ability — unusual for rookie tight ends –and we can see why Kittle could end up being a special player.
George Kittle had one of the top blocking grades among TEs in this class and QBs had a 114.2 passer rating when targeting him in 2016 #49ers
— Jeff Deeney (@PFF_Jeff) April 29, 2017
Kittle also has done more than just show up to various minicamps and OTA sessions with a good deal of draft hype.
“Kittle caught six passes in the two days of practice during the team’s minicamp, which wrapped up its on-field work Wednesday afternoon,” wrote NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco at mandatory minicamp. “Only Pierre Garçon (eight) and Carlos Hyde (seven) caught more passes than Kittle.”
With quarterback Brian Hoyer not known for having a cannon-like arm, it wouldn’t be a shock to see tight ends as a major piece in Shanahan’s offense.
That’s good news for Kittle.
Why He’ll Regress
One of the problems pointed out by NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein was Kittle not being known as a great route-runner.
Shanahan’s offense is one of the most complex in the NFL, so it’s highly likely Kittle will go through a pretty steep learning curve.
And it goes without saying Kittle’s blocking abilities will be put to the test much more at the pro level than in college. We’ll have to see how well the rookie adjusts to this change, as it will be a primary indicator how much the Niners use him early on.
What to Expect in 2017
The 49ers already tried to move McDonald earlier this offseason. He, Celek and Bell aren’t exactly locks to make the roster, which opens up the door for Kittle to assume either a No. 1 or 2 spot on the depth chart.
More from Niner Noise
- Predicting 49ers NFL Draft picks by looking at final mocks
- DraftKings NFL Draft Promo – Win $150 Guaranteed on Any $5 Bet
- 2023 NFL Draft: EDGE Byron Young could be impact player for 49ers
- 5 low-key NFL Draft options for 49ers who are flying under the radar
- Updated 49ers salary cap space ahead of 2023 NFL Draft
Paulsen, who worked under Shanahan from 2010 through 2013 with the Washington Redskins, has the distinct advantage of being a player who understands the offense.
As such, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the veteran start in Week 1, even if Paulsen is known more for his blocking abilities.
Still, Kittle may not be far off. He’s surely a more prolific receiving-type tight end and has a much higher ceiling. So if Kittle isn’t in starting formations right away, don’t be shocked if he winds up assuming this role at some point midway through 2017.
Next: 5 storylines to watch at 49ers mandatory minicamp
Look for this to be the case this season. Paulsen probably drops down a spot on the depth chart after a few weeks, opening up the door for Kittle to be a major contributor.