George Kittle continuing to build off momentum from OTAs
San Francisco 49ers rookie tight end George Kittle is continuing to build off of the positive momentum we saw from him at OTAs with a strong camp so far…
Former Iowa Hawkeyes tight end George Kittle sort of surprised everyone when he came to the NFL Scouting Combine and put on a show.
At 6-foot-4, 247 pounds, Kittle ran a 4.52 second 40-yard dash and had a 35-inch vertical jump to go along with a 132-inch broad jump and 18 bench press reps.
Those types of numbers are usually typical of tight ends that get picked in the first round, much less a tight end that has experience in a pro-style offense like Kittle. But Kittle’s lack of receiving production at Iowa pushed him down draft boards, and the San Francisco 49ers scooped him up in the early portion of the fifth round.
Kittle wasted no time getting on the good side of the 49ers’ coaching staff, making play after play at OTAs. That type of playmaking ability has endeared him to veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer, who is in line to be the 49ers’ opening day starter.
According to camp reports, Kittle has been Hoyer’s favorite target overall.
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I guess when you look at the receivers he has at his disposal overall, it’s not that big of a surprise. Kittle came into San Francisco with a very favorable situation as far as competition ahead of him at tight end. Vance McDonald was really the only one standing ‘in the way’ of Kittle being this year’s starting tight end for the Niners, and we all know that Kyle Shanahan likes to utilize multiple tight ends anyway.
Now, it seems like Kittle has pushed himself ahead of the competition at tight end as well as perhaps being among the team leaders in passing targets overall.
The past two seasons at Iowa, Kittle caught 42 passes, 10 for touchdowns. Those numbers could be at least matched with the 49ers in 2017, though the touchdowns might be down a bit.
One thing is for certain — Kittle is a playmaker with phenomenal athleticism and a nose for the end zone. He’s the type of playmaker that could be a catalyst for a quick resurgence of the San Francisco offense.