The Niners added a tight end in free agency. But, does that preclude them from taking one early?
The 2025 NFL Draft is less than two weeks away, as the San Francisco 49ers currently have the No. 11 overall pick.
Most of the discourse has been around the 49ers’ first-round pick, and rightfully so, as the team needs instant impact rookies after a quiet offseason.
But, there are several needs that San Francisco could address in this draft, so let’s go through every position and find realistic targets for the 49ers. So far, we’ve gotten through the quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers.
Now, it’s time for the tight ends.
Day 1
The tight end position is where we get our first realistic Day 1 candidates. Now, I don’t anticipate a tight end being at the top of San Francisco’s board, given the amount of talent available at bigger positions of need.
But, it’s not out of the realm that the 49ers double-dip on the position in free agency and the draft after already signing Luke Farrell to a three-year deal. San Francisco needs a future after George Kittle, and Farrell isn’t a long-term answer.
Of course, investing as much as a first-round pick means the 49ers would expect that player to see meaningful snaps in 2025. But, if a tight end is the best on the board in a weaker overall class at the top, it’s realistic that they’d pull the trigger, especially in a trade down.
Michigan TE Colston Loveland
When it comes to the top tight ends in the draft, Loveland is certainly in the mix, and has actually gotten quite some buzz to be THE top tight end in the class, given his all-around profile.
Loveland has great size at 6’6, 248 pounds, good athleticism, ball skills, and effort as a blocker. Now, he did have some injury concerns in college, dealing with a shoulder issue in 2024 that required surgery and could very well drop him a bit in the draft.
But, the overall talent warrants a first-round selection. The only question is whether the 49ers would be willing to make a luxury pick as early as the first round, even with a trade down, which would be the realistic scenario for Loveland.
Here’s what the Athletic’s Dane Brugler said about Loveland.
“A three-year starter at Michigan, Loveland was a versatile tight end in head coach Sherrone Moore’s pro-style scheme, lining up primarily in the slot (47.6 percent of the time) and inline/wing (32.5 percent) as a junior,” Brugler said.
“From the moment he arrived in Ann Arbor, he was one of the most talented players on the roster and made an immediate impact his first two years, including as the Wolverines’ leading receiver in the 2023 national championship game. His final season was marred by injury and below-average quarterback play, but he still led the team in receiving in nine of the 10 games he played and set Michigan records for the tight end position.
“With his speed and ball skills, Loveland can line up anywhere on the field and win as a quarterback-friendly, multilevel receiving threat. He isn’t a liability as a one-pop, get-in-the-way blocker but will struggle to sustain or control NFL edge defenders. Overall, Loveland doesn’t have the skill set for full-time inline responsibilities, but his dynamic movements, natural hands and football awareness should make him one of the primary targets in an NFL offense. His tools and upside are reminiscent of Zach Ertz.”
Day 2
LSU TE Mason Taylor
While a tight end in round one is a possibility, it likely only happens in a trade-down scenario. However, if the 49ers were to target a tight end in Round 2, there would be one eye-popping choice: LSU’s Mason Taylor.
Taylor has great athleticism at 6’5, 250 pounds, and is one of the better pass-catchers in the entire class. He’s a very natural mover, has great hands and body control, and could be the steal in a deep tight end class.
Here’s what Brugler had to say about the LSU tight end.
“A three-year starter at LSU, Taylor was a versatile tight end in offensive coordinator Joe Sloan’s pass-happy offense (55.7 percent of snaps inline, 37.0 percent in the slot in 2024),” Brugler wrote. “Known more for being the son of a Pro Football Hall of Famer when he enrolled, Taylor made a name for himself by becoming the most productive tight end in LSU history — he set records for career catches (129) and receiving yards (1,308). Despite those achievements, his single-game high in receiving yards was just 63 (vs. Georgia in 2022).
“Taylor is a loose mover, which shows in his route running and at the catch point, and he has the hand-eye coordination to make natural adjustments and finish in traffic. In the run game, he is more of a wall-off blocker than a violent people-mover, but his toughness and athleticism at the point of attack help him execute his assignments, especially out in space as a move blocker.
“Overall, Taylor was Mr. Reliable in the LSU offense — and can be the same for an NFL team, because of his good-sized athleticism, reliable ball skills and competitive blocking. He projects as a solid NFL starter who doesn’t have to leave the field and has some similarities to Hunter Henry.”
Bowling Green TE Harold Fannin
The 49ers have been connected to Fannin, having a formal meeting with him at the combine before hosting him on a Top 30 visit this month.
Fannin is one of three known tight ends to get a Top 30 visit from the 49ers. He’d be more of a late Round 3 option, and is one of the more productive pass-catchers in the class, catching 117 passes for 1,155 yards and 10 touchdowns for Bowling Green in 2024.
Fannin could be a positional mismatch, as he had high splits lining up as an in-line tight end, flexed in the slot, and even on the outside. Possessing good hands, he could be a solid long-term complement to George Kittle, but the blocking will have to improve.
Day 3
Georgia Tech TE Jackson Hawes
The second of three tight ends to earn a Top-30 visit from the 49ers, Hawes stands 6’4, 253 pounds, and is best known for his blocking ability.
A six-year player in college between Yale and Georgia Tech, Hawes plays with a nasty demeanor, which could appeal to the 49ers as their blocking backup to Kittle.
Now, he doesn’t have much experience as a pass-catcher, with his career highs coming this season (16 catches, 195 yards), but is worth a flier as a late Day 3 selection with his blocking ability.
The TE2 role is becoming more and more important with prices going up in free agency, so nabbing a good blocker on a cost-controlled contract could very well be a realistic move by the 49ers this draft.
Texas Tech TE Jalin Conyers
The final of the three tight ends who got Top 30 visits with the 49ers, Conyers is another Day 3 prospect who could fit well in San Francisco.
At 6’3, 260 pounds, Conyers tested well enough at the NFL Combine, and he possesses solid ball skills to break out at the next level.
He’s been used in a variety of roles in college, including the wildcat, and is an after-the-catch threat with his athleticism.
The consistency with route-running and blocking will be areas of focus, but the 49ers clearly see something there with Conyers as a potential Day 3 prospect.