Why the 49ers Could Draft a Tight End with the 11th Pick this Year

You could argue the 49ers don't need a tight end because they have George Kittle who's a future Hall of Famer. But he's 31, he has just one year left on his contract and you don't know when his body will begin to break down. It would be nice to have his heir apparent on the roster.

Dec 31, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren (44) against the Boise State Broncos in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The 49ers need to draft offensive and defensive linemen this year. But they also need to take the best player available.

In the past, holes in the trenches led the 49ers to draft Mike McGlinchey and Javon Kinlaw over far superior players at positions the 49ers didn't think they needed at the time. They can't make that mistake again.

Of course, if the best player available for the 49ers is an offensive or defensive lineman, wonderful. But the draft might not break so kindly to the 49ers.

Instead, it's possible the best player available for the 49ers will be a tight end -- either Penn State's Tyler Warren or Michigan's Colston Loveland. They're two of the top 10 highest-graded players in the draft according to NFL.com, and most mock drafts project they'll be available when the 49ers are on the clock with the 11th pick.

You could argue the 49ers don't need a tight end because they have George Kittle who's a future Hall of Famer. But he's 31, he has just one year left on his contract and you don't know when his body will begin to break down. It would be nice to have his heir apparent on the roster.

And even if Kittle maintains his current level of performance for another four or five seasons, why not pair him with a second elite tight end? Elite tight ends are extremely rare and hard to find and having two of them certainly couldn't hurt.

Something to think about.

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