49ers to Host Georgia Tech Tight End Jackson Hawes on Top-30 Visit

The 49ers sure love blocking tight ends.

Nov 21, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets tight end Jackson Hawes (85) catches a pass against the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the first quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The 49ers sure love blocking tight ends.

First, they signed Luke Farrell to a three-year, $20.25 million deal. Now, they're bringing in Jackson Hawes for a top-30 pre-draft visit according to his Instagram account.

Hawes was a blocking tight end at Georgia Tech last season. He caught 16 passes for 195 yards and zero touchdowns. The previous three years, he played at Yale. So he must be smart enough to pick up the 49ers' dense offensive scheme. And he's clearly the type of tight end they love.

The 49ers have spent some serious capital on blocking tight ends the past few years, In 2020, they drafted Charlie Woerner, whom they loved even though they rarely gave him the ball. Then in 2023, he signed with the Falcons, so the 49ers drafted Cam Latu in Round 3. He was a converted linebacker who couldn't catch a cold, so he never made the team. But they drafted him to block.

Then this offseason, they made Luke Farrell their biggest signing by far. And now, they're bringing in someone quite similar to Farrell.

Hawes is not fast -- he ran a 4.82 40-yard dash at the Combine. But the 49ers love slow tight ends who block and rarely catch passes. They see these players as extensions of the offensive line. And in the 49ers' system, the tight ends are the most important run blockers because they're at the point of attack on outside-zone runs -- not the offensive linemen. So that's why the 49ers hoard these blockers.

Don't be surprised if the 49ers drafted Hawes with one of their two picks in Round 5.