49ers rookie tight end Kaden Smith has some ambitious goals. While competing for George Kittle’s starting job is probably off the table, there’s a wide open spot behind him on the depth chart. Smith’s coach at Stanford, David Shaw, thinks the tight end is a perfect fit in the 49ers’ offense, even if he lacks elite athleticism.
“I think (49ers head coach) Kyle (Shanahan) is so good at manipulating defenses with personnel groupings and formations and motions and route combinations,” Shaw told 49ers team reporter Joe Fann. “That’s good for guys who are athletic and can make contested catches, but also guys who are bright. Kaden is going to come in, he’s going to study and he’s going to know everything there is to know about the offense.”
Smith’s 4.92 40-yard dash played prominently into his draft stock sinking to the sixth round where San Francisco scooped him up. It stands to reason that a player who couldn’t win with athleticism would have a hard time finding snaps in an offense that uses it to make mismatches and generate yards through runs after the catch.
However, a deep understanding of the offense could very quickly make Smith a key cog for the 49ers. They used multiple tight ends on about 18.6 percent of their snaps last season according to Sharp Football Stats. Utilizing two tight ends allows Shanahan to keep opposing defenses off balance by varying what plays he runs out of those personnel groupings.
If Smith can quickly gain an understanding of the offense the way Shaw believes he will, it will allow him to better manipulate defenses and understand what’s happening on a given play to maximize his effectiveness despite not being the best athlete on the field.
Cracking that top-two rotation of tight ends may be difficult with seven-year veteran Garrett Celek on the roster. He has a two-year head start on Smith for knowing the offense. Even if Smith isn’t a huge contributor in Year 1, a high football IQ will set him up to succeed in the years beyond the 2019 season.
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