Handicapping the 49ers' tight end competition: A Young TE is Emerging

Is Brayden Willis a lock?

Willis appears to be the frontrunner for the third spot. He is a former seventh-round pick who has developed in his first two years. Now, in year three, he is a better blocker than he used to be, which has given him a step up on his competition. 

Willis started next to Farrell in the preseason, indicating he would be the next man off the bench. He played 35 snaps with 28 as an in-line tight end. This is valuable as it shows he can step in and replace Farrell if anything happens, being a complement to Kittle, who allows him to remain a weapon. He has also been a special teams contributor over the past two years, so his spot feels safe. 

So, one spot may be down to Dwelley and Tonges. There are two ways that you can take this battle. 

The case of Ross Dwelley 

Ross Dwelley did not play any offensive snaps in the 49ers preseason opener, but he did play 12 special teams snaps. So, the team was not sitting him with the rest of the starters. The vibe was more that he was behind Farrell, Willis, and Tonges and was hoping to show that he can stick around with enough special teams value. 

A positive spin is that Dwelley was with the team from 2018-2023, so they did not need to see him on offense. His main role will be special teams, so of course, he played there. 

Meanwhile, Willis is still developing, Farrell is new, and they do not know much about Tonges. Is it that Dwelley is a lock, and they needed to see more from others, or that Dwelley is truly behind them?

How do the 49ers view Jake Tonges?

Tonges played three fewer special teams snaps than Dwelley, which can speak to the idea that Dwelley is a core player. However, Tonges played 38 offensive snaps, so he was the one with the chance to prove he belongs on the roster, while Dwelley could not. 

Still, while Tonges played 38 snaps, only 15 were as an in-line tight end. He has 13 snaps in the backfield, eight in the slot, and two as a wide receiver. 

If anything, the 49ers may not view Tonges as competition for the tight end role; they may view him as a backup to Kyle Juszcyk. If that is the case, they are likely going to push him back to the practice squad, where he was most of last year. 

The final two weeks will determine things, and you can spin the preseason usage however you want. It will be interesting to see how the room sorts out.