Stanford’s Kaden Smith wasn’t a highly-touted prospect in the NFL draft. He didn’t blow up the combine, and he lasted until Round 6 when the 49ers selected him with the No. 176 overall pick. He was the 12th tight end taken.
None of that is stopping him from setting his sights high in his NFL career. He told Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports that he wants to compete for George Kittle’s job at the top of the tight end depth chart.
“I saw what he did last year, and I’m really excited to come in and learn under him, eventually fight for his spot,” Smith said according to Maiocco. “I’m not really sure what my role is, yet. I’m just going to go play football, enjoy it, have fun and keep learning.”
It’s difficult to imagine Smith, 22, stepping in and taking over a 25-year-old Kittle’s job any time soon. Kittle posted 1,377 receiving yards last season – an NFL record for tight ends.
However, attempting to reach Kittle’s level could help push Smith up to the second tight end spot. Ross Dwelley and Garrett Celek are the other two contenders for that job. Dwelley didn’t contribute much last season and Celek is 30 going into the final year of his contract.
Smith doesn’t athletically profile to be a top tight end in the modern NFL. He does have a skill set that could make him a very good contributor for San Francisco though. His lack of elite athleticism has forced him to find other ways to be productive, and he did so in college. Smith had 70 catches for 1,049 yards and seven touchdowns in two years with a Cardinal team that didn’t run a pass-heavy offense.
He won’t overtake Kittle, but if he can step in and block effectively while also helping create mismatches in the passing game, Smith should contribute immediately on a very good NFL offense. That would far exceed expectations for a sixth-round pick.
About the Author: Insidethe49
