5 most explosive players on 49ers offense entering 2021

49ers Explosive Player No. 1: Tight End George Kittle

As if it would be anyone else.

Tight end George Kittle might not be the fastest pass-catcher out there, and he certainly won’t win any footraces with some of the other Niners receivers on the roster.

But Kittle’s game as a legitimate No. 1 receiving threat stems from the combination of his versatility, hands, physicality and finding soft spots within the zone.

More from Niner Noise

• 49ers 2023 NFL Draft tracker: Pick-by-pick news and analysis
• Predicting 49ers NFL Draft picks by looking at final mocks
• DraftKings NFL Draft Promo – Win $150 Guaranteed on Any $5 Bet 
• 2023 NFL Draft: EDGE Byron Young could be impact player for 49ers
• 5 low-key NFL Draft options for 49ers who are flying under the radar

Then, of course, creating all those yards after the catch.

Yes, Kittle’s injury-plagued 2020 campaign was a bit of a dark spot. But going back to his 14-game 2019 season, one can easily look at just how important those YAC yards were to San Francisco’s overall offensive output.

For starters, Kittle’s 602 yards after the catch ranked third best among all NFL receivers and best among tight ends that year, and those yards accounted for almost 10 percent of the entire total of yards the 49ers generated that season.

That’s a lot, if you couldn’t put that together.

Needless to say, Kittle will remain the Niners’ No. 1 most explosive player on the offense for quite some time.