49ers 53-man roster prediction with mandatory minicamp in the books
By Peter Panacy
Tight end (4)
George Kittle, Eric Saubert, Logan Thomas, Brayden Willis
San Francisco shook up its tight end room behind George Kittle during the offseason, losing veterans Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley to free agency while adding Eric Saubert, and most recently, Logan Thomas.
Thomas figures to be the No. 2 behind Kittle, giving Kyle Shanahan his best one-two punch at the position since 2020 when he had Jordan Reed backing up Kittle, although injuries to both tight ends thwarted that attempt's full effectiveness.
Brayden Willis, the second-year pro, reportedly had an excellent OTA and minicamp period, which indicates he has a strong chance to crack the back end of the depth chart, especially if he can serve on special teams.
This isn't great news for fellow second-year pro Cameron Latu, who struggled mightily in training camp his rookie season before missing all of 2023 with a knee injury suffered in the preseason that year, one from which he's still recovering
The fact the 49ers brought in two more faces in Thomas and Eric Saubert potentially spells the end for Latu, a former third-round draft pick.