Niners Nation
The 49ers could go back to another skill-position player with their first round pick.
The NFL Scouting Combine is officially underway this week, as some of the top 2025 NFL Draft prospects will get the chance to showcase their skills and interview with teams as a part of the pre-draft process.
The San Francisco 49ers will be all hands on at the event, as they look to find their next first-round talent, holding the No. 11 pick in the draft.
Much has been said about where San Francisco should go in a class that is perceived to be weaker at the top, with the trenches seeming like an ideal place to add talent.
However, skill position players are always valuable additions, as seen with the 49ers’ first-round selection of Ricky Pearsall last season. Could that be the route the team goes once again?
Wide receiver doesn’t seem like that pressing of a need for the 49ers, given the fact they just extended Brandon Aiyuk and drafted Pearsall, but San Francisco could look to add at tight end in this draft. They’ve long searched for a complement to star George Kittle and now could even be thinking of finding his successor in a deep tight end class.
At the position, a few draft pundits have mocked Penn State Nittany Lions star Tyler Warren to the 49ers with the No. 11 pick. He’s seen as a top-10 player in the class by the Athletic’s Dane Brugler, ESPN’s Mel Kiper, and NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, given his all-around skillset at 6’6, 257 pounds.
But, could there be a dark-horse tight end for the 49ers to consider, even as high as the first round?
Insert in Michigan star Colston Loveland, who was the Wolverines’ leading pass catcher in 2024 and a close second to wide receiver Roman Wilson in 2023.
Loveland, a 6’5, 245-pound tight end, caught 56 passes for 582 yards and five touchdowns in 2024, despite dealing with a sub-optimal quarterback situation. Playing with J.J. McCarthy in 2023, the tight end had 45 catches for 649 yards and four scores, showing off more of his explosive-play ability.
Now, Loveland has varying draft grades from a number of different analysts, but Brugler is high on the Michigan star, having the tight end as the No. 11 prospect on his most recent Big Board.
“His final season was marred by injury and below-average quarterback play, but Loveland still led Michigan in receiving in nine of his 10 games and set program records at tight end,” Brugler wrote. “With his speed and ball skills, he can line up anywhere on the field and win as a QB-friendly, multi-level receiving threat. He has the most upside of any pass catcher in this draft class.”
Tight end in the first round may not be the biggest need for the 49ers, but extra pass-catchers, especially versatile ones, can open up the passing game even more for head coach Kyle Shanahan, while alleviating some of the stress off star...
