5 dark-horse candidates to make 49ers 53-man roster in 2022
By Peter Panacy
49ers dark-horse roster candidate No. 3: TE Tanner Hudson
Yes, depth tight end Tanner Hudson was responsible for a horrid dropped pass while he was wide open on third down against the Vikings, and he was also slapped with a holding penalty that negated a touchdown rush in the same game.
However, Hudson is making a strong bid to earn a key spot on the Niners depth chart behind All-Pro George Kittle this season.
For starters, Hudson caught the game-winning pass in preseason Week 1 against Green Bay, and he followed that up with a team-high five-catch, 43-yard performance against Minnesota, and four of those grabs came on third-down situations that successfully converted into first downs.
Behind Kittle, San Francisco’s tight end backups don’t lead to any concrete conclusions just yet.
Hudson is certainly in the mix now, as are Tyler Kroft, Charlie Woerner, Ross Dwelley and even Troy Fumagalli.
If Kyle Shanahan elects to keep four tight ends, it’ll be nearly impossible to leave Hudson out of the mix.
Even if Shanahan keeps three, though, Hudson could wind up serving in a No. 3 role on the depth chart after his (mostly) impressive preseason campaign thus far.