Tag: 49ers depth chart

Finding heir apparent to George Kittle may be impossible in 2024 draft

This may not be the year for the 49ers to go find a high-quality backup TE who can be the heir apparent to George Kittle.

Tight end has been an interesting position for the 49ers the last several years. Atop their depth chart has been perhaps the best all-around player at the position with George Kittle. Behind him has been a bit of a mess. San Francisco has had some quality blockers come through, but finding a quality pass catcher to really take advantage of multiple-TE sets has been a problem. With Kittle entering his 30s, that backup TE is also a player the club will look at as a successor to the do-everything All-Pro.

According to NFL Media draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, this is not a good year for them to try to find that player. In a conference call with reporters on Wednesday, Jeremiah laid out a grim picture of the 2024 tight end class.

“Well, they want their tight ends to be able to block and be a part of that process,” Jeremiah said of the 49ers. “So, unfortunately, with today’s college game, that lops off a good chunk of them. But Cade Stover from Ohio State would be one. That would be one who’s got some ruggedness and some toughness to him. That could kind of fit the mold a little bit there. That would be one name I’d throw out there.”

Stover is a projected third- or fourth-round pick, according to Dane Brugler of The Athletic. He posted 77 receptions for 928 yards and 10 touchdowns in 25 games the last two years for the Buckeyes. Pro Football Focus graded him out as an average overall blocker the last two years, but his size and playing style indicate he has some upside there.

Perhaps the 49ers really like Stover or another tight end more than Jeremiah thinks they might, but it doesn’t appear this will be a good year for San Francisco to land the high-quality TE2 that has long eluded them.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

49ers have top-30 visit with underrated OT prospect

The #49ers had a 30 visit with a really interesting tackle prospect who could be the team’s next late-round gem.

The 49ers have options in this year’s draft. Offensive tackle remains their most glaring need, but it’s not a slam dunk that they go that route with their first pick. It’s also not out of the question they take multiple players at that position to give themselves as many options as possible while building out an offensive line.

Penn State’s Caedan Wallace is a later-round OT candidate who would make a ton of sense for San Francisco, and they’re hosting him on a top-30 visit according to the Draft Network’s Justin Melo.

Wallace won’t make his way into any Day 1 mock drafts. He may not even land in a Day 2 mock. As Day 3 prospects go though it’s easy to see how the 49ers could quickly fall in love with Wallace given their situation at right tackle.

In five seasons with the Nittany Lions, Wallace started 40 of the 47 games he played at right tackle. He checks all the size boxes at 6-5, 314 pounds with 34-inch arms. His athleticism won’t blow any coaches away, but Wallace has enough of a well-rounded skill set that the lack of elite athleticism shouldn’t make him an unplayable pro.

While Wallace grades out as a mostly average run blocker per Pro Football Focus, he allowed just one sack and 13 pressures in pass protection last season. In 2022 he gave up one sack and 12 pressures. The two sacks and 25 pressures across his final two college seasons were a massive improvement over the five sacks and 35 pressures he gave up just in the 2021 campaign.

That improvement, combined with his experience and size make Wallace the kind of prospect who could definitely compete for a starting right tackle job right away. If he’s unable to do that, there’s plenty to build on if the 49ers want to develop him for either a future starting job, or a spot as a swing tackle in a deeper version of San Francisco’s offensive front.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

49ers best offseason story line is one that isn’t happening

The best part of this #49ers offseason is a thing we’ve not had to talk much about.

Can we take a moment to appreciate something we’ve not had to really write about or cover this offseason? The 49ers for the first time in a long time have no offseason drama at quarterback. There are no questions, there’s just a healthy Brock Purdy coming off a terrific second season as a pro, lined up as the team’s starting QB for the start of the 2024 season.

What a fun thing!

In the 2017 offseason we had to consider all the options in the draft with Kyle Shanahan assuming the head coach role.

In 2018 we had to wonder whether the team would pay Jimmy Garoppolo or franchise tag him.

In 2019 Garoppolo was coming off an ACL injury.

In 2020 Garoppolo was coming off a rough Super Bowl performance and questions about his long-term viability as a starting QB started to sprout.

In 2021 the 49ers drafted Trey Lance and threw Garoppolo’s future into massive flux.

In 2022 Lance took over and Garoppolo was supposed to be gone, but then it turns out he wasn’t.

In 2023 Purdy was coming off major elbow surgery and his status was up in the air enough that we had to ponder the merits of a Lance vs. Sam Darnold quarterback battle.

This offseason the only drama under center was how the 49ers would navigate the QB2 and QB3 spots on their depth chart. That’s how Super Bowl contenders typically operate in an offseason. They have no questions about what’s happening at quarterback, and instead get to focus on the things we’ve gotten to look at this year. We’ve gotten to dive into things like offensive line help, defensive line depth, Brandon Aiyuk’s future and other very important, non-quarterback things.

None of this is to say there won’t be more question marks in the near future. Purdy after the 2024 season will be extension eligible. There’ll be questions about how much he should be paid and what other pieces the team can/should keep with a more expensive signal caller atop the QB depth chart. With that comes additional scrutiny each year Purdy and the 49ers don’t hoist a Lombardi Trophy.

For now we’ll kick that can down the road though and enjoy at least one year of offseason certainty at QB for the 49ers. It may be the last one for awhile.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

49ers hopeful for Talanoa Hufanga return in training camp

Talanoa Hufanga is on track for a training camp return, which is great news for him and the 49ers. Here’s what it means for the 49ers’ roster:

The 49ers may have solved their safety depth conundrum. There were questions about Talanoa Hufanga’s availability after he tore his ACL in Week 11 last season, but head coach Kyle Shanahan on Tuesday indicated the team is hopeful it will get its starting strong safety back during training camp.

This is a pretty significant development for San Francisco, and it means their hunt for a safety in free agency will be for a depth piece instead of a starter. With Hufanga on track for a pre-Week 1 return the ambiguity of the need in the back end of the secondary is eliminated.

San Francisco will still want to add veteran depth. They need some kind of proven commodity behind Hufanga in the event of a setback or if he can’t return to full speed as quickly as they might like. However, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see them add a player via the draft to try and develop as a long-term piece for them with Hufanga entering the final year of his rookie contract.

For now though this is great news for Hufanga. He’ll not only be able to shore up the 49ers’ secondary, but he’ll have a full season under his belt as he hits his first free agency. The All-Pro safety was a fifth-round pick in the 2021 draft. He was a First-Team All-Pro in 2022, his first year as a starter, and was putting together another strong 2023 campaign when he got hurt.

Hufanga has started 30 of his 42 games for the 49ers, including 27 in a row before his injury. He’s posted 181 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, seven interceptions and 14 pass breakups.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

49ers free agent signings might’ve been made with new kickoff rule in mind

A few #49ers free agency signings make way more sense when viewed through the lens of the new kickoff rules.

The 49ers might have had an inkling the NFL’s new kickoff rule was going to pass. While San Francisco voted against it, the adoption of the new rule Tuesday at the NFL’s annual league meetings brings into focus the impetus behind a handful  of the 49ers’ offseason additions.

Part of San Francisco’s signings in the first couple free agency waves included cornerbacks Chase Lucas and Isaac Yiadom, as well as linebacker Ezekiel Turner. The 49ers also re-signed LB Demetrius Flanningan-Fowles and extended safety George Odum.

The common thread between these players is that all of them have been strong special teams contributors throughout their careers. Even Yiadom, who is coming off his best season as a defender, played a ton of special teams last season for the Saints.

With kick returns suddenly a more prominent aspect of each game, the 49ers needed to shore up a kick coverage unit that struggled enough last season that it could easily be chalked up as a major problem in a world where there are returns on virtually every kick instead of just one or two per game. By bolstering their roster with special teams aces, they could be giving themselves a major advantage under the NFL’s new special teams-forward rule.

It also makes sense that the 49ers don’t have their return man just yet. San Francisco could just be waiting until the comp pick formula is no longer in play before signing a return specialist, but they might also be viewing a world where some of their playmakers are more useful on kickoffs than they’d been in the past.

With kick coverage units unable to run to cover the kick until the returner has the ball in their hands, it could set up a world where a player like Deebo Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk become more dangerous as returners without as much injury risk as there’d been before. Perhaps the 49ers will replace Ray-Ray McCloud and roll with that player as their return man. They could also turn to second-year WR Ronnie Bell, who handled kickoffs at various points last season. However, the door is open for a more proven, electric playmaker to have the ball in their hands on kickoffs with a chance to get behind blockers to make a play.

How the 49ers choose to operate on returns will be a fascinating aspect of the leadup to the 2024 season. For now though it appears they’re gearing up their roster to be strong in kick coverage, and they could be angling toward doing the same for kick returns to try and take an early advantage of a league still figuring out how to play with the new rules.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

4 players 49ers could trade up for in NFL draft

The #49ers could make a jump up in the first round of the draft to snag one of these offensive linemen:

The 49ers are in a potentially advantageous spot in this year’s draft despite not picking until No. 31 overall. Given their need on the offensive line, the depth in this year’s class, and the team’s sizable capital in this year’s draft, there’s a very real possibility San Francisco identifies a player they love earlier than No. 31 and make a jump up the board to snag them.

This has been something the 49ers haven’t been afraid to do in the Kyle Shanahan-John Lynch era. The trade ups don’t always work, but it’s clear when they identify a player they like they’re willing to expend draft picks to move up and snag them.

Here’s a look at a handful of offensive linemen typically going before the 49ers pick in mock drafts that they could wind up moving up to go get:

How Talanoa Hufanga injury impacts 49ers offseason

Don’t expect the #49ers to make a big splash at safety as they navigate Talanoa Hufanga’s injury:

The 49ers are in a little bit of a tough spot when it comes to navigating the safety market this offseason. It appears they have two young starters to fill out the free safety and strong safety spots with Ji’Ayir Brown and Talanoa Hufanga, but Hufanga’s torn ACL in Week 11 of last season puts a sizable twist into how San Francisco can attack the position this offseason.

Even before Hufanga’s injury last season it looked on the horizon like the 49ers were going to need some depth at the position in 2024. Brown at that point was waiting in the wings behind Hufanga and Tashaun Gipson, and veteran special teams ace George Odum is at his best when just contributing on special teams. San Francisco, assuming Gipson’s exit, was going to need some viable depth.

The issue now is what type of depth they’ll need, and what the 49ers want to do over the next couple of years at that spot.

In the short-term they have to figure out if they need to find a player capable of starting if Hufanga isn’t ready to return by the season opener. It’s hard to be super optimistic about that since he was hurt so late in the year, but it’s not impossible that he’d be on the field by early September. They’ll need depth in either event, but the quality of player they add will have to be determined by Hufanga’s prognosis.

Do they go get a veteran like Broncos safety Justin Simmons or Bills safety Jordan Poyer, both of whom were released for salary cap reasons? Or do they add a free agent from the margins who can work in as a short-term starter if Hufanga does miss time?

The draft is also an option, but that’s where the long-term piece of this puzzle falls in. Hufanga is entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2024, and his play through three seasons could earn him a deal beyond the 49ers’ budget next offseason. That would mean a relatively early pick in this year’s draft would be prudent since they’d be able to pair that player long-term with Brown.

If there’s optimism that Hufanga will re-sign, then perhaps the team would either skip a draft pick this year or use a later-round pick on a player who may or may not ultimately contribute.

There are no firm answers either way, but it would appear that a low-cost free agent on a one-year deal would make the most sense. That gives San Francisco the quality of depth they need to withstand Hufanga’s injury recovery, while also not tying them up for too many years. If they lose that free agent and Hufanga next offseason they’d be able to cross that bridge then either via free agency or the draft.

For now the lack of answers makes it hard to believe a big splash is coming for the 49ers at safety in 2024.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

PFF: 2 safeties 49ers could pursue in free agency

PFF has a couple of free agent safeties that make a lot of sense for the #49ers:

The 49ers salary cap situation may keep them from being major players at the top of this year’s free agent market. Of course, there are ways they could create the cap space necessary to go big game hunting, but a more prudent move may be fishing around the bargain bin for quality fits that either help their starting lineup or their overall depth chart.

A good example of that bargain shopping comes via Pro Football Focus, which lists a pair of inexpensive safeties as potential free agent additions for the 49ers.

The first one is Chargers safety Alohi Gilman. He was a sixth-round pick in 2020 who started only nine games on defense while working primarily as a special teams contributor his first three seasons.

Last year though he played 928 defensive snaps and started all 14 games he played for the Chargers at free safety, but he showed off some versatility by lining up all over the field for then-head coach Brandon Staley, who is now the assistant head coach for the 49ers. Gilman in his expanded defensive role turned in the best season of his career with a pair of interceptions, seven pass breakups, and an overall 86.1 defensive grade from PFF.

His lack of overall experience is a bit of a red flag, but it will also be something that tamps down his market some to make him affordable enough for the 49ers. Gilman would fit the role of either starting or contributing on special teams and giving San Francisco some quality depth behind Ji’Ayir Brown and Talanoa Hufanga.

The other player PFF lists is Patriots defensive back Jalen Mills.

Mills has had an up-and-down career with four seasons in Philadelphia and three seasons in New England. He’s never been consistently productive, but he’s lined up all over the field from outside corner, to slot corner, to strong safety to free safety. The 49ers don’t have a super versatile defensive back like that who can plug several holes depending on their need, but relying on him as a starting safety is probably not how San Francisco would want to operate.

Bringing him in as a reserve, Swiss Army knife defensive back and potential special teams contributor would make a ton of sense though, and at 30-years old he’s unlikely to break the bank in free agency.

Safety isn’t way up the list of 49ers’ offseason needs, but it’s definitely there and a low-cost addition like Mills or Gilman would be smart team-building by San Francisco.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

49ers get versatile problem-solver in mock draft by the Athletic

The #49ers have 2 problems on the OL, and this mock draft by the Athletic solves both with one pick.

It appears the 49ers are all but certain to select an offensive lineman with their first-round pick in this year’s draft. Which offensive lineman that is depends on the mock draft, but the pick for San Francisco in Dane Brugler’s post-combine projection might make the most sense of any name so far.

Brugler has seven offensive tackles going before the 49ers are on the clock, leaving them to pick Arizona offensive lineman Jordan Morgan.

While there may be more athletic tackles with a higher overall upside in the class, Brugler points out how Morgan can help solve a short-term and long-term problem for San Francisco thanks to his inside-outside versatility.

Via the Athletic:

The eighth offensive tackle taken in this mock, Morgan is an ideal scheme fit for San Francisco. But he also makes timeline sense, because he offers versatility on the line despite having only played left tackle in college. Morgan can help fill in at guard or right tackle right away and potentially be the long-term plan on the left side whenever Trent Williams decides to hang ‘em up.

This would be the ideal first-round choice for the 49ers. They need help at both right tackle and right guard. Adding Morgan would allow them the flexibility to play him at either spot, giving them a wider array of options when assembling their roster. The 49ers can also decide where he plays based on what free agency yields. If they land a sure-fire starting guard in the open market, Morgan could slot in at right tackle for 2024. If they want to roll with Colton McKivitz again, or if they find a free agent option they like at RT, Morgan can just slot in at guard.

Then there’s the long-term solution for how they can fill the void when Williams retires. It may be that they have to dedicate major resources to finding his replacement. Adding Morgan though would mean potentially replacing Williams via a late first-round pick and taking that tall task of their plate at some point in the next few years.

If the 49ers can answer both of their big offensive line questions with one pick, it’s hard to argue against that selection regardless of what kind of player falls to them at No. 31.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

49ers should probably draft another QB in 2024

The 49ers have 11 picks in the 2024 draft. One of them should be used on a quarterback.

It appears the 49ers have a long-term answer at quarterback. Brock Purdy acquitted himself well enough in his first full season to provide optimism that he can lead San Francisco to a championship. Filling out the rest of the quarterback room remains an offseason box San Francisco needs to check — Purdy is the only QB under contract for 2024 — and they should do that in part via the draft.

There’s no need to go overboard and use an early pick on the position, but it might behoove the 49ers to identify a signal caller they like in the middle rounds to work in at least as a third QB.

Part of that is to act as an insurance policy in case something gets sideways with Purdy. The 49ers are confident in him as their franchise QB, but a lot can change in a year when he’s up for an extension, or two years when his rookie contract runs out.

The bigger reason to start developing a young QB behind Purdy though is for the event where San Francisco’s optimism is rewarded and Purdy commands a high-priced extension.

In that event the 49ers will need to thread the needle between insulating themselves from the dreaded QB injury and keeping the overall cost of the rest of the QB room down.

A veteran backup can come cheap, but they’d likely want a backup they’re comfortable can step in and win games if Purdy is unavailable for any amount of time. It’s harder to find those players for cheap.

That’s where a 2024 rookie comes in.

Purdy is still counting for just $1,004,235 against the cap this year — a pittance in terms of QB cost. San Francisco can afford to pay for a pricier QB2 this year if they choose. When Purdy’s contract inflates into the $30 million or $40 million range as early as next offseason, paying backups becomes harder.

A 2024 draft pick would get a chance to develop in his first year before becoming the team’s inexpensive backup in 2025 when Purdy’s cost could potentially explode.

With 11 picks in this year’s draft there’ll be plenty of opportunities for the 49ers to maneuver around the board to snag the QB they believe can best fit the role they need him to fill. When in the draft that is will depend on how the board shakes out. Anything outside the first round or two should be on the table.

QB may not atop the 49ers’ list of needs this year, but backup QB is too important of a position to ignore. Adding one via the draft gives San Francisco a real opportunity to continue having a strong depth chart, even when their typically cheap QB room gets expensive.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]