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While it makes sense for the San Francisco 49ers to find a future replacement for tight end George Kittle in the draft, one top prospect won’t do.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine urges the 49ers to steer clear of selecting Texas’ Ja’Tavion Sanders. The former Longhorns star is a playmaker but wouldn’t serve blocking needs, Ballentine explained.
“Sanders is an interesting prospect as a 6-foot-4, 245-pound move tight end who can create some mismatches as a vertical threat,” Ballentine wrote. “But B/R scout Derrik Klassen is concerned with his run-blocking, which is a major red flag for a potential Niners pick. Kyle Shanahan‘s offense frequently evolves, but being able to run the ball is always at the heart of it.”
“Klassen believes Sanders’ best role with an NFL team would be similar to Evan Engram or Isaiah Likely,” Ballentine added. “While the Niners could figure out how to use that kind of player, he wouldn’t be a direct replacement for Kittle.”
49ers Could go Different Direction for Future After George Kittle
With two years left on his contract, Kittle, 30, enters his seventh season. He has missed games in each of the past five seasons, so durability is a concern as Ballentine noted.
Kittle has been a strong pass catcher with 460 receptions for 6,274 yards and 37 touchdowns. The former Iowa star also remains a strong blocker, which includes his 83.2 career grade for run blocking by Pro Football Focus.
Instead of reaching for Sanders, the 49ers could wait for a more suitable prospect later in the draft. The 49ers have time to develop a late-round pick, too, since Kittle has played at least 14 games every season of his career except for 2020.
“An investment in someone like Penn State’s Theo Johnson, who has shown some flashes as a run-blocker, would make much more sense,” Ballentine wrote.
A Look at Theo Johnson
Johnson is a big tight end at 6-foot-6, 259 pounds, and he showed flashes as a pass-catcher for the Nittany Lions. He tallied 77 receptions for 938 yards and 12 touchdowns in 40 career games.
“Johnson’s size and positional flexibility alone make him an intriguing prospect,” the Bleacher Report Scouting Department states. “He has the size and strength of a true in-line tight end along with the movement skills of someone who can be flexed all around the formation. Penn State regularly played Johnson on the ball, off the ball, in the backfield as an H-back, in the slot and out wide.”
“The real kicker with Johnson is his blocking ability. Though he sometimes loses by being late out of his stance, he is largely an excellent blocker,” Bleacher Report added. “Johnson has the size and strength to bury defenders on downhill runs and track defenders in space and pick them off. Johnson is an active blocker no matter the assignment.”
“Johnson’s blocking ability and high-end athleticism will make him a viable TE2 in the NFL right away. With that said, he will need to clean up his route-running and become stronger at the catch point to make the leap to starting NFL tight end,” Bleacher Report concluded. “Johnson would fit best in a downhill run game that can use his athletic ability on play action.”
San Francisco could use him as a second tight end behind Kittle, and Johnson could complement the 49ers running game.