The story of the season for the San Francisco 49ers was the absurd number of injuries that the team had to deal with. It was a testament to the coaching masterclass by Kyle Shanahan that allowed them to remain not only in the playoff hunt but also to reach the Divisional Round.
However, that isn’t a sustainable model, especially with their most consistent pass-catcher, George Kittle, recovering from an Achilles injury. As a result, one analyst believes they should target the best tight end prospect in the 2026 draft class.
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From the quarterback to the offensive line, the wide receivers, and the tight end to virtually the entire defensive core, the 49ers had a hard time managing the sheer volume of injuries on the roster last season.
Still, the group showed its immense potential, clawing its way to the Divisional Round, where the 49ers lost to the eventual champions, the Seattle Seahawks. Unfortunately, though, next year is already off to a tough start.
Kittle, who is far and away regarded as one of the best tight ends in the game with seven Pro Bowl appearances to his name, had an Achilles tear that knocked him out early in their postseason run.
With Brandon Aiyuk’s status still a question mark and the 49ers failing to find reliable wideout targets as a replacement, Brock Purdy is going to need at least some help to keep the offense afloat.
T.J. Randall of PFSN, in his latest mock draft, believes the solution to their problem could be drafting Kenyon Sadiq late in the first round. Ranked as the best tight end prospect in the class by PFSN, he has elite pass-catching mechanisms.
Add in the ability to create separation and accumulate yards after the catch, and he is one of the more complete prospects in recent memory. In his final season at Oregon, he tallied 560 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
Randall said, “The addition of Sadiq feels like a necessity more than many realize,” before explaining how Kittle’s future with the team was still uncertain. “After a season-ending injury joined a list of injuries that unfortunately continues to lengthen.”
As a result, he said, “It’s tough to pass on Kittle’s successor given what we know about the position’s importance in the offense.” But it’s still going to be an uphill climb for Sadiq to match the production from Kittle.
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In an injury-riddled 2025 campaign, the veteran tight end still managed to put up 628 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in just 11 games, ranking No. 5 on PFSN’s NFL TE Impact Metrics.
At the collegiate level, Sadiq has shown that he can hang with the best of them. And with tight ends becoming immediately productive in recent years (Brock Bowers, Colston Loveland, and Tyler Warren, for instance), the 49ers have to hope for a similar year from the Oregon product.
