Niner Noise
FanSided

Biggest 49ers winners and losers from the 2019 NFL Draft

By Peter Panacy

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 28: NFL Commissoner Roger Goodell greets Aldon Smith, #7 overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers, during the 2011 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall on April 28, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 28: NFL Commissoner Roger Goodell greets Aldon Smith, #7 overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers, during the 2011 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall on April 28, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images) /
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San Francisco 49ers top cap casualties 2019
Tight End Garrett Celek #88 of the San Francisco 49ers (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

Loser: Tight End Garrett Celek

If Kyle Shanahan gets a bit more potent at both wide receiver and at tight end, Garrett Celek doesn’t stand to benefit from the 49ers’ additions in this year’s NFL Draft at all.

For starters, Kaden Smith already has a leg up on Celek. Well, a few, perhaps.

Smith is younger, of course, which makes him the cheaper option on a late-round rookie contract. Additionally, Smith has the Stanford connection with general manager John Lynch, whereas Celek is coming off that 2018 season in which he was penalized more than the number of passes he caught.

Simply put, “Celek Time” doesn’t appear to be as big a thing in Santa Clara as it was back in 2017.

If Smith was the only addition, there’d be a decent chance Celek could hang around into the regular season. But with Jalen Hurd also in the fray, it wouldn’t be shocking if Shanahan wants to save one of these precious few pass-catching roster spots for his younger players.

Not a 31-year-old Celek, who certainly looks like he’s on the outside, looking in.