3 under-the-radar 49ers who could make an impact in 2020

No. 2: 49ers Tight End Charlier Woerner

It’s always fun to talk about rookies, and the 49ers have a few of them from the 2020 draft who could provide a little thump this season.

But former Georgia tight end Charlier Woerner, who never accrued more than 11 catches in any of his four collegiate seasons, could wind up providing some more value than what the Niners would usually hope for a sixth-round pick.

Warner wasn’t a collegiate pass catcher. He was one of college football’s best blockers at the position, though, and it’s likely his primary duty will be to hold down the role previously held by now-New York Giants tight end Levine Toilolo.

Toilolo had a total of two catches for 10 yards in 2019, yet his pass-blocking ways kept him on the field for nearly 18 percent of San Francisco’s offensive snaps last season.

If Woerner ended up merely being a blocking tight end, that amount of field time would be fine. But it wouldn’t be shocking at all to see the Niners use Woerner as more of an offensive weapon than he was at the college level or Toilolo was last season for San Francisco.

No, Woerner isn’t going to put up receiving numbers like George Kittle. Not even a quarter of that.

Yet it wouldn’t be a shock to see the rookie eclipse his college-best campaigns his rookie season, perhaps coming down with some clutch grabs in key situations. That would be the Niners’ top goal for him.