49ers’ 2019 ‘Who Is?’ series: Tight end Kaden Smith

The San Francisco 49ers made a notable move to upgrade their reserve tight ends, meaning Stanford’s Kaden Smith could have a major role his rookie season.

Outside George Kittle, the San Francisco 49ers didn’t get a lot of production from their tight ends in 2018.

No. 2 tight end Garrett Celek had five receptions against six accepted penalties against, and third-string tight end Ross Dwelley was a near non-factor.

So it made sense the Niners brought aboard former Stanford tight end Kaden Smith in Round 6 of the 2019 NFL Draft, as Smith offers a unique skill set and could be the perfect complementary piece to Kittle’s Pro Bowl efforts for the coming future.

Smith, 6-foot-5 and 252 pounds, had modest-yet-impressive production in college, picking up 635 yards on 47 catches last season:

Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 7/1/2019.

Stats alone don’t tell the whole story, though. Fans of Kittle may recall his collegiate production at Iowa wasn’t particularly noteworthy. It took a breakout 2018 campaign from him to become a household name.

Smith might not be on the same trajectory. But he could be a useful tool in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense.

Here’s how.

Why Kaden Smith Improves in 2019

Stanford was primarily a run-first offense the past two years, so Smith’s receiving numbers do stand out. Additionally, Cardinal head coach David Shaw frequently lined Smith up all over the field, inline with his offensive line, in the slot and even on the outside.

This is something playing right into Shanahan’s “positionless” offense entering 2019. The head coach can essentially put Smith wherever he wants, based on matchups and situations, only adding to Smith’s versatility.

Smith is also a solid run blocker, as 49ers Webzone’s Rich Madrid pointed out. And when combined with being a better pure pass catcher, the 49ers already have a would-be upgrade over Celek, who went through a massive regression last season.

Smith’s hands are pretty good, too. That’s important.

Why Kaden Smith Regresses

If Smith is such a standout, why did he fall all the way into Round 6 of the draft.

One of the reasons is his speed, or lack thereof. Smith was a shade under five seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, and his route running wasn’t particularly great at the college level.

In Shanahan’s complex offense, which requires precise route running, this could be problematic.

Smith also isn’t prone to being a good pass blocker, and that’s crucial for backup tight ends, as Shanahan will often feature run-heavy packages but go with a pass instead.

If Smith can’t lock down his pass-blocking technique, like Kittle has, he’ll find his snap counts on the decrease.

Projected Role with the 49ers in 2019

While he’s not exactly a lock to make the 53-man roster in 2019, Smith has to be viewed on the strongest edge of the roster bubble.

His chances are made better by the fact Celek is in the league’s concussion protocol, stemming from a head injury suffered in Week 16 last year. Celek was already in danger of losing his roster spot entering this season, and this latest setback doesn’t do him any favors.

It does, however, open up the door for Smith to see more second-team reps during training camp. And those are crucially important for first-year players.

Granted, Smith is going to compete with one of the 49ers’ other offseason pickups, veteran tight end Levine Toilolo. But with Toilolo less a receiving threat and more of a blocker, it’s feasible Shanahan looks to the rookie to be featured in more pass-catching situations.

Good news for Smith, who could end up being another one of the Niners’ late-round finds in the draft.