NFL free agency: Ranking 49ers’ top 5 targets for 2018

No. 4: Tight End Jimmy Graham

I’m going to continue the 49ers-need-big-receivers narrative here because I just have this nagging feeling that a large target would make a huge seasonal impact on the team.

So I think I’d say that Jimmy Graham, king of the jump ball in the NFL, would fit that narrative.

Graham is your classic safety blanket for a quarterback. Coming in at 6-foot-7 and 265 pounds, Graham is a monster and can dominate cornerbacks and safeties with his intimidating size. The Seahawks tight end is also deceptively fast and often outruns linebackers.

Of the eight seasons that he has played in the league, Graham has caught ten or more touchdowns in four of them. He also has two 1000-yard seasons under his belt. He has proven to be a true threat in the league.

However, most could say that his stock dropped considerably during his current stint with Seattle, a team that limited his opportunities, due to porous offensive line play and the lack of chemistry Graham had with quarterback Russell Wilson.

His drop in productivity in Seattle, which was not his fault, combined with his relatively old age of 31 years, could result in another bargain for general manager John Lynch, who would be bringing in a crucial red-zone target for his team.

But what’s going to happen to rookie tight end George Kittle? I’m thinking something along the lines of a Graham-Kittle duo, where Kittle would come on the field on rushing downs, since he is a considerably better blocker than Graham, and become a perfect target for play action and bootleg plays to trick the defense. The arrival of Graham would not harm Kittle’s development.

Who knows, maybe Graham would become a mentor for Kittle to teach him how to snag every jump ball?