SF 49ers: 3 players who proved long-term value vs. Packers

No. 2: SF 49ers Tight End Ross Dwelley

It stinks the SF 49ers are going to be without tight end George Kittle, likely for the rest of 2020 as he recovers from a broken foot.

Kittle will return as the best tight end in the NFL, yet few defenses around the league are equipped to handle or cover two legitimate pass-catching tight ends. The thought the Niners had entering this season was to pair Kittle with veteran tight end Jordan Reed. But with Reed being out for the majority of 2020’s first half, and now Kittle being out, Kyle Shanahan and Co. will never get to see what that tandem could have been like.

They can still envision Kittle and No. 2 tight end Ross Dwelley being a nice pairing, though.

Dwelley flashed his potential last year when Kittle missed two games with injury. The former also doesn’t have the injury history Reed has, which was showcased by quarterback Nick Mullens targeting him three times and Dwelley hauling all of those in for 52 yards, second only on San Francisco’s offense behind wide receiver Richie James‘ 184.

True, Dwelley isn’t going to generate the massive yards after the catch Kittle accumulates nearly every game. And Dwelley is nowhere close to as effective at blocking when compared to the first-team All-Pro.

But as a reliable and potentially potent complementary option, Dwelley is about as good as it gets moving forward.