The San Francisco 49er’s search for a legitimate backup tight end continues in the upcoming offseason. The front office has tried to find George Kittle some help but has failed at every step. Yet, the 2025 NFL Draft provides another opportunity for San Francisco to finally run 12 personnel the way it was created to be executed.
To understand the 49ers’ need for a complementary tight end and eventual replacement for George Kittle , their past failures must be acknowledged.
49ers Previous Tight End Experiments
The 49ers’ lack of depth at the tight end position is concerning. They tried to work with Ross Dwelley and former sixth-round pick Charlie Woerner. Both were lackluster, blocking-first backups that added nothing to the receiving game. San Francisco attempted to address the tight-end issue in 2023 but failed miserably.
The team over-drafted Alabama tight end Cameron Latu in the third round and later selected Oklahoma’s Brayden Willis in the sixth round. Latu did not stick, and a dropping issue led to his release this offseason. He is currently not on a roster after spending most of the 2024 season on the Browns’ practice squad.
Willis has been the more productive of the two, although a brutal holding call in the Super Bowl is the highlight of his young career thus far. The team waived Willis during roster cuts, but he found his way back onto the 49ers roster halfway through this season, serving as the fourth-stringer behind Eric Saubert and Jake Tonges.
The 49ers are 7-12 without George Kittle since 2017. In 2024, the 49ers are 0-2 without Kittle on the field, including two NFC West losses against the Rams and Seahawks. 49ers’ tight ends had three catches for 48 yards across both games.
San Francisco knows a backup tight end is a need. They used two draft picks in the same year to address the position and even signed restricted free agent Brock Wright in the offseason before the Lions matched the offer, reverting him to Detroit’s roster.
With how many misses the 49ers have had, they cannot draft just anybody. San Francisco must find the perfect fit. Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski believes the Big Ten can provide a solution to the long-evasive problem.
Big Ten Provides Big Answers
In a recent post, Sobleski dissected the best fits for the top ten players in the College Football Playoffs. He listed the San Francisco 49ers, among three teams, as the best landing spot for Penn State tight end Tyler Warren.
The John Mackey Award winner has seen a career season playing for the Nittany Lions in 2024. As a fifth-year senior, Warren has 88 receptions, 1,062 yards, and six touchdowns in 13 games. His production and upward trajectory can be attributed to his versatility.
Warren is the ultimate offense weapon, similar to how San Francisco used fullback Kyle Juszczyk. He can play in-line, on the wing, in the slot, out wide, in the backfield, and even take the snap.
As a rusher this year, Warren has 191 yards and four touchdowns in 23 attempts. He also leads all Power Four tight ends in receiving grades and yards after catch, according to Pro Football Focus .
Think of the Penn State tight end as the Swiss Army knife of the 2025 draft class. Warren is currently projected as the 28th best player on Pro Football Focus’ 2025 NFL Draft big board .
While the first round might seem rich for a tight end, 49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan loves a do-it-all type of player, and after asking Juszczyk to take a pay cut in the offseason, the team could be looking to replace the aging yet still effect, fullback.
The 49ers, with three games remaining, are projected to have the 15th overall pick in the NFL Draft.
Sterling Bennett is a Heavy.com contributor covering the NFL. He has half a decade of experience as a sports broadcaster at 95.7 The Game covering the San Francisco 49ers as part of the weekly “Overtime” show, where he covered Super Bowl 58. Bennett was the Golden State Warriors Network Coordinator from 2020-2024, where he was responsible for all gameday radio broadcasts, including the 2022 NBA Finals. More about Sterling Bennett
