Predicting 49ers 53-man roster just before final roster cuts

Tight Ends (3): George Kittle*, Ross Dwelley*, Kaden Smith*

The offense is already loading up just with the skill position players, which is obviously going to limit the numbers elsewhere. Still, I think Shanahan sticks to his normal and keeps three tight ends on the roster, all of whom should be part of the active roster on a pretty regular basis.

Outside of George Kittle, however, there isn’t a lot to inspire confidence here. Although to be fair, there hasn’t been much depth at the position since the days of Vernon Davis and Delanie Walker.

Both second-year man Ross Dwelley and rookie Kaden Smith have flashed at times throughout the preseason, but neither was consistent enough to make anyone feel like the 49ers have two or even three high-quality tight ends on the roster.

With that in mind, don’t be terribly surprised if the 49ers choose to go with someone who fits a different profile, such as free-agent signing Levine Toilolo, who factors in more as a blocker who can catch rather than the other way around. In that case, they’d likely try to sneak Smith onto the practice squad, although that could be a slightly dangerous proposition.

Either way, expect the number to be set at three here, even if the names are slightly off.