The 49ers didn’t make any major splashes at tight end in the offseason, but they did dramatically overhaul a TE room that was largely the same for the last four seasons. George Kittle is still around, but mainstays Ross Dwelley and Charlie Woerner both joined the Falcons this offseason. While their departures didn’t move the needle much on the 49ers’ roster, they did leave some sizable question marks on the TE depth chart going into training camp.
Here’s a quick rundown of the big questions facing that group:
1. Is Logan Thomas the best TE2 in the Shanahan era?
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has tried a handful of times to find a strong pass catcher to work in as the No. 2 option behind George Kittle. Doing so would provide some real flexibility for him and his play calling by allowing him to have some semblance of balance out of multiple TE sets. None of their backups during the Dwelley/Woerner era took on that pass-catching role, and Jordan Reed couldn’t stay healthy during his lone season with the club. Thomas is probably an overqualified TE2 because of his ability to catch passes. If he can block functionally the 49ers could start utilizing more multi-TE looks in 2024 to combat some of the more DB-heavy modern defenses.
2. Will they run more multiple TE stuff?
The 49ers won’t show their entire hand in the portions of camp open to media. We should get at least an idea of how they play to deploy their new TE room and whether there will be more multi-TE stuff by what kind of reps they get in camp. If we see Thomas or one of the other TEs getting significant burn with the first team, it may be a sign that one of the reserve TEs will be getting work with that group at some point(s) during the regular season.
3. Can either of the 2023 picks play?
The 49ers selected Cameron Latu in the third round of last year’s draft, and then picked Brayden Willis in the seventh. Neither player made a significant impact last year with Latu spending the season on IR and Willis primarily working on special teams. Both will have uphill climbs to playing time and/or a roster spot. They were both fine pass catchers in college, but they come with varying skillsets in how they were utilized as blockers. Perhaps both players put on a show at camp and make the club. It’s on the table though that neither player winds up making the team which would be a minor disaster for the 2023 draft class.
4. Is there a UDFA gem here?
It was thought going into the draft that San Francisco would use one of their picks on a TE. Instead of using a selection on a TE after using a pair last year, the 49ers signed undrafted free agent Mason Pline out of Furman. Last season for the Paladins he hauled in 32 receptions for 287 yards and four touchdowns. He’s an intriguing athlete with good size at 6-6, 254 pounds. He could have a real shot to carve out a roster spot if his game translates to the NFL.
5. How does Kittle look post-surgery?
Kittle had offseason core muscle surgery that forced him out of participating in Tight End University this offseason. All signs point to him being ready to go in camp after missing the offseason program. It’s been rare in Kittle’s career that he’s had to come into a training camp without a full offseason workload. How he performs in that scenario while just a few months shy of his 31st birthday could set a tone for his entire 2024 campaign.
