Surprise contender could shake up 49ers roster at tight end

Going into training camp it looked like the San Francisco 49ers had a mostly set tight end group.

George Kittle would spearhead that unit with veteran Logan Thomas offering the pass-catching backup TE the 49ers have been on the hunt for. Brayden Willis figured to be a factor heading into his second season, and then camp would be for deciding whether the club would keep a fourth TE.

That all got shaken up when Thomas was let go before the preseason opener. Suddenly the plan behind Kittle had less certainty. Willis and Eric Saubert both got a ton of run in practice with the first team, and then played plenty early in the first preseason game.

They appear to be the frontrunners to snag roster spots, but veteran Jake Tonges is making a strong case for himself with good showings in camp and the preseason. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said he’s not surprised that Tonges, who spent virtually all of last season on the 49ers practice squad, has shown up in an uncertain TE room.

“Not really. We got him on our practice squad last year, so we got to see a lot of him, just on scout team and stuff,” Shanahan told reporters after Tuesday’s practice. “And he’s always done a real good job here and he’s taken advantage of his opportunities. He’s mixing around at a couple positions and he’s going to make this decision tough for us.”

Tonges spent some time at fullback in camp when Kyle Juszczyk wasn’t lining up during practice. He’s also hauled in all six of his targets in the preseason for 49 yards.

There’s nothing particularly flashy about how Tonges operates, but he’s a willing and capable blocker with a knack for finding space as a pass catcher. Those are all qualities San Francisco would love to have in a reserve TE.

Unfortunately for Tonges, blocking is going to be one of the primary skills the 49ers look for at that position. That’s something Saubert thrives at. If we’re penciling Willis in for a roster spot and the 49ers only keep three TEs, chances are Tonges winds up being the odd man out.

However, he’s certainly in the mix as the preseason winds down. There’s now a path to him making the club out of camp, and that’s impressive for a player who was largely an afterthought at the position when camp opened.