The 49ers Might be in the Market for a Tight End
John Lynch didn't reveal much about the 49ers' draft plans on Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine, but he may have let one secret slip.
He was asked about the importance of the tight end position, and Lynch answered in an interesting, telling way: "Green Bay did a great job last year of identifying young guys and playing with them and it added a lot to who they were as a team, as an offense," Lynch said. "So I think it can really make your team better when you find, and it's not just one anymore, you need a couple. It's a real critical position."
Sounds like the 49ers are in the market for a second tight end.
As Lynch noted, the Packers drafted two tight ends last year -- Luke Musgrave in Round 2 and Tucker Kraft in Round 3 -- and both players made an instant impact as rookies.
Meanwhile, the 49ers drafted Cam Latu at the end of Round 3, because they need a second tight end, as Lynch said. George Kittle will turn 31 next season -- he needs a lighter workload during the regular season. But Latu was dreadful in training camp, and he spent his entire rookie season on the Injured Reserve List. He did nothing to indicate he'll make an impact this year or ever, and once again Kittle played 90 percent of the offensive snaps. Not ideal.
Which means the 49ers could draft another tight end this year, perhaps in Round 3 again. That's what they did when they drafted running back Trey Sermon in Round 3 and he flopped. The very next year, the 49ers drafted running back Ty Davis-Price in Round 3 to correct their mistake.
Of course, Davis-Price was a giant flop as well, but that's beside the point. The 49ers kept throwing resources at the position until they eventually landed Christian McCaffrey.
Expect the 49ers to throw more resources at the tight end position this offseason. They might even sign one in a few weeks.
Stay tuned.
