49ers Draft Tight End Cameron Latu with Pick No. 101

Here comes George Kittle's heir apparent.

With pick No. 101 in the NFL Draft, the 49ers selected Alabama tight end Cameron Latu. This is the highest pick the 49ers have spent on a tight end since they hired Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch in 2017.

Latu started his career as a linebacker, but gradually made the transition to tight end and caught 56 passes in two seasons with Alabama. He also gained 787 yards and scored 12 touchdowns.

If those numbers sound pedestrian, keep in mind that Kittle produced similar numbers when he was at Iowa: 48 catches, 737 yards, 10 touchdowns.

"I try to model my game after George," Latu said on a conference call with Bay Area reporters. "I watched him these last two years with my tight ends coach and just tried to take tools that he has been using in the run game and pass game and apply them to my game. To team up with him is a blessing to be able to learn under him."

Latu is a run-blocking specialist right now who has the potential to improve as a pass-catcher, just like Kittle when he was younger. The difference is much faster -- he ran a 4.5 Latu runs a 4.7.

Still, the blocking duo of Kittle and Latu should be devastating in the run game.

"He's a versatile player in that he's good in both the run and the pass," John Lynch said after Round 3. "He went to Alabama as a linebacker and I think he plays like that. He's an aggressive player, he's competitive, when you're watching film with him his recall is really good. He grew on you from that standpoint. We like the skillset and we like the mentality."