An Overlooked 49ers Roster Battle Could Suddenly Matter

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An Overlooked 49ers Roster Battle Could Suddenly Matter

Originally posted on San Francisco 49ers on SI
By Parker Hurley | Last updated Aug 9, 2026 9:00 AM ET

The San Francisco 49ers will not play too many big-name starters in their preseason opener. However, one underrated position battle could be emerging at tight end. The team has Brayden Willis back and entering his fourth season. However, he has never been a roster lock, and the team signed veteran Josiah Deguara in training camp to push him.

San Francisco 49ers Have Depth Tight End Battle

If George Kittle ends up missing any time in the regular season, the team will only have two tight ends ahead of these two. They could not go into Week 1 with just Luke Farrell and Jake Tonges as their only active tight ends, so even if Kittle misses just one week, they both have strong cases to stick around.

There is a legitimate debate about which player has the better resume entering the preseason. Willis makes his claim with familiarity. He was a seventh-round pick in 2023 and has stuck around.

However, he has typically been a practice squad option, and the team even lost him and got him back at one point. He has just 86 regular-season snaps in his three NFL seasons. The familiarity is great but does not come with experience.

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Meanwhile, Deguara has not set the world on fire, but he played 84 snaps just last season. In total, he has 1,023 snaps. That comes with just 53 career catches for 471 yards, but the team does not need him for that. If he can play special teams, line up correctly, and throw a couple of blocks, he would be a valued third tight end when Kittle has a chance to stick around as the fourth tight end when he returns.

Of course, what is holding him back is that he signed after the team started training camp. He needs to pick up the playbook and beat out a player who has run the offense since 2023.

The 49ers also have Hayden Rucci in the mix, but it does not seem that he is going to make the same roster push as these.

Which player gets on the field first, and whether either one plays with the first-team offense due to Kittle missing the preseason, will be worth watching. The two will also have to win the job with special teams contributions.

While the fourth tight end spot on the depth chart is not a fun battle to discuss, it is one of the more interesting battles in 49ers camp.

This article first appeared on San Francisco 49ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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