The 49ers picked up more depth with Stanford tight end Kaden Smith in the NFL draft. They took him with the third pick in the sixth round – No. 176 overall.
Smith has really good size at 6-5, 255 pounds, and ran a 4.92 40 at the combine. He posted 70 catches for 1,049 yards and seven touchdowns in two seasons with the Cardinal.
He was used a lot as a blocker at Stanford, and probably slides into a role similar to Garrett Celek’s. Smith isn’t likely to climb into a job as a primary receiving target, but the 49ers don’t need a tight end of that caliber with George Kittle on the roster. He is versatile though and certainly isn’t a liability as a pass catcher. His size should make him a red zone target for San Francisco as well.
There were several Stanford prospects who made sense for the 49ers, but they went with Smith, who should find his way onto the field in Year 1.
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