49ers roster 2023: Cameron Latu a draft reach or a steal?

The 49ers used a third-round NFL Draft pick on Cameron Latu, which might prove to be brilliant or foolish.

The San Francisco 49ers had a few moves in the 2023 NFL Draft that raised eyebrows, perhaps none bigger than a third-round selection of kicker Jake Moody.

In the same round, though, the Niners used another pick on former Alabama tight end Cameron Latu.

Latu, 6-foot-5 and 244 pounds, was generally seen as being a reach in Round 3 despite having an NFL-ready build and coming from a top collegiate program. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein tabbed Latu as a Round 5 prospect on his draft profile, suggesting San Francisco reached.

Did the 49ers reach? Or will this wind up turning into a gem of a pick? Perhaps something in between.

Why did the 49ers draft Cameron Latu?

Head coach Kyle Shanahan has long sought after a top-quality No. 2 tight end to pair with the All-Pro, George Kittle.

Kaden Smith, Jordan Reed, Ross Dwelley, Charlie Woerner, Jordan Matthews and others have all been candidates for this role, yet Shanahan and Co. have continued their search.

Plus, knowing that the 2023 draft was deep at the position, the Niners could effectively "double dip," which they did by also adding Oklahoma tight end Brayden Willis in Round 7.

Latu, however, has the much bigger pedigree.

Sure, statistically, Latu was solid for the Crimson Tide the last two seasons, amassing 56 catches for 787 yards and 12 touchdowns between 2021 and 2022. But he's also an above-average blocker, and that'll fit in well with what San Francisco would want as a secondary option to Kittle.

Hands are a bit of a problem, though, and that won't bode well with Shanahan if it's an issue at the pro level.

How much is Cameron Latu earning with 49ers in 2023?

According to Over the Cap, Latu is set to earn up to $964,378 in total money his rookie seaso as part of the initial four-year, $5.3 million rookie contract he signed after being drafted.

If Latu flames out during training camp and fails to make the 49ers' 53-man roster, waiving him would incur a cost of $857,512 in dead money.

That's not likely the outcome, though.

Predicting Cameron Latu's role with 49ers this season and beyond

Dwelley and Woerner are still technically ahead of Latu on the Niners depth chart, but the former two are also free agents a year from now, so their long-term status witih the team is anything but certain.

Additionally, Kittle will turn 30 years old this season. While it's very premature to think about his post-San Francisco career, the reality is that Kittle is likely closer to its end than the beginning at this stage.

While Latu isn't pegged as a long-term replacement, it's still worth establishing that as the top-end possibility.

Read more: Niners eventually want to replace Ross Dwelley, but can they?

For now, Latu is in the conversation to be Kittle's primary backup, although both Dwelley and Woerner have the better edge there. And with Shanahan frequently having kept four tight ends on the 53-man roster before, it's possible these three all survive roster cuts to support Kittle.

Even if that meant Willis was the odd one out.

Unless Latu tears things up during training camp and the preseason, though, he'll probably start off as the tertiary option at best. And there's still that notable risk of him being a fifth-round kind of prospect, as Zierlein noted, yet one who was picked in Round 3.

Regardless, it'll likely be 2024 in which the former Alabama tight end makes a substantially bigger impact.

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