No. 2: Tight End Ross Dwelley
It doesn’t seem long ago second-year tight end Ross Dwelley was viewed as a long shot to make the 49ers’ 53-man roster in 2019. Perhaps he was on the weaker side of the roster bubble, at best, but few likely saw him a worthy addition.
Scratch that thought two weeks into training camp.
True, the Niners drafted former Stanford tight end Kaden Smith this year. And they also brought aboard the veteran, another Kyle Shanahan understudy, Levine Toilolo in free agency. But Dwelley seems to be outperforming both of these players, who are also vying for a roster spot behind 2018 Pro Bowler George Kittle.
At least in training camp, as Niners Nation’s Rob Lowder pointed out from Wednesday’s practice session:
Kittle probably won’t see much of the field, if any time at all, during Saturday’s contest. This means increased reps for Dwelley, who is certainly looking like he’s the favorite to emerge as the primary No. 2 tight end behind Kittle.
If it goes well, Dwelley should be able to cement that role heading towards Week 1.