49ers training camp: Will rookie tight ends become George Kittle’s top wingmen?
Rookies Cameron Latu and Brayden Willis enter training camp looking to earn a spot on a 49ers' tight end corps led by George Kittle.
SANTA CLARA — Three summers in a row, George Kittle has welcomed NFL tight ends to work out in Nashville, near his offseason home.
Earlier this year, the 49ers drafted two tight ends – Cameron Latu and Brayden Willis — to learn from, back up, and complement Kittle.
“They’re both great, both high character guys, both have great work ethics, and they learn really well,” Kittle said as the offseason program wound down in June.
If Latu or Willis is really ready for the NFL, then incumbents Ross Dwelley and Charlie Woerner could be pressed more than ever for spots on a championship-focused roster.
If that foursome isn’t enough, also on the radar is Troy Fumagalli, a practice-squad player last season.
Kittle is coming off a strong season, highlighted by a career-high 11 touchdown catches and the requisite accolades (Pro Bowl, Second-Team All-Pro). Seven of those scores came in the final four games of the regular season as Brock Purdy’s trusted target; none of Kittle’s 10 playoff catches went for a touchdown.
Kittle sustained a groin injury the Monday before last season’s opener, and it kept him out the first two games. That start delayed him from getting “in the flow” until midway through the season.
“They pay me a lot of money so that’s kind of unacceptable from me. I was pretty upset with that,” said Kittle, adding that “our whole team” increased its level of play as the season progressed.
Now comes a new year, and new tight ends to mentor. Latu and Willis missed minimal assignments in organized team activities, according to Kittle, who appreciated them asking for his advice along the way.
“I told them right away, ‘Please don’t think you’re ever going to annoy me with questions. I was in your position once and I just want to give you the best chance to make this team,’ ” said Kittle, a 2017 fifth-round pick.
A quick review of Kittle’s five fellow tight ends:
— Latu’s frame (6-foot-5, 244 pounds) is commensurate with his job description his freshman year at Alabama, when he initially lined up as an outside linebacker.
“Cameron’s a big dude, a lot bigger than I thought he was, in person,” said Kittle, noting that Latu’s speed was clocked at 19.5 mph on one OTA play. The only other tight end faster: Kittle, at 20.5 mph (according to Kittle).
— Willis was the 15th and final tight end drafted, going in the seventh round (No. 247); Latu was the ninth tight end drafted (third round, No. 101).
Willis (6-4, 240) looked like a Day 3 steal with his down-field catching ability in 49ers OTAs. He had 39 catches as a fifth-year senior at Oklahoma, after just 36 over his previous four seasons combined.
“Brayden has a great feel in the route game, running choice routes, catching well with his hands,” Kittle added.
— Fumagalli hasn’t had an NFL catch since the 14 he totaled in 2019-20 with the Denver Broncos. He spent the first two months of last season on the practice squad, and he re-signed in May.
“I love Troy. Scrappy, reliable player,” tight ends coach Brian Fleury said. “I don’t know how many splash plays he’ll make, but if we’re up against it and needed somebody, I’d feel very comfortable with him.”
— Dwelley’s tenure has been hot-and-cold since joining the 49ers in 2018 as an undrafted rookie from the University of San Diego.
Frozen out toward the end of last season, he was inactive for five of the 49ers’ last seven games, making just one offensive snap in their December win at Seattle and their divisional-playoff victory over Dallas. He had a career-low three catches last season, and just four in 2021, which are too few for someone known best for his hands and footwork. He has, however, scored in four straight seasons (with five career touchdowns). Dwelley, for the fourth straight year, is working on a one-year deal ($1.7 million salary).
— Woerner had no catches last season (three targets), and while that isn’t too alarming for a blocking specialist, he did descend the depth chart. The 49ers instead deployed veteran Tyler Kroft as last year’s No. 2 tight end, and it was Kroft’s block that Haason Reddick beat to hit and injure Brock Purdy in the NFC Championship Game. A 2020 sixth-round pick, Woerner is to make $1 million in salary as his rookie deal expires.