49ers: Full Position Breakdown and Depth-Chart Analysis at Tight End

The San Francisco 49ers have eight tight ends on their roster.

At the bottom of the depth chart is rookie seventh-round pick Busta Anderson, who caught 61 passes and averaged 15.6 yards per catch in four seasons at the University of South Carolina. He struggled with injuries and drops, but he has ideal athleticism for a tight end.

Also at the bottom of the depth chart are second-year tight ends Asante Cleveland and Xavier Grimble. Both went undrafted in 2014.

Grimble started the season on the New York Giants’ practice squad and finished the season on the Niners’ practice squad. Cleveland started the season on the Niners’ practice squad and got promoted to the active roster before Week 3.

All three tight ends have talent and potential futures in the NFL. But they probably won’t make the Niners’ final roster in 2015.

Here is a complete breakdown of the five tight ends with the best chance of making the team in 2015.

5. Garrett Celek, 4th Season

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The 49ers signed Garrett Celek as an undrafted free agent in 2012. He survived the Niners’ final cuts after training camp that year and was the team’s No. 3 tight end as a rookie.

Celek is a classic inline tight end and blocking specialist, but he isn’t much of a receiver. He made only 14 catches in four seasons at Michigan State and just eight catches the past three seasons with the Niners. That’s 22 catches in seven years, according to my little calculator.

The 49ers probably won’t carry more than four tight ends on their 53-man roster. Right now, Celek would be No. 5. He needs to play extremely well during training camp and preseason to take one of the other four tight end’s spot on the roster.

For what it's worth, Celek played well during minicamp. He caught five passes and dropped none during three days of team drills.

4. Derek Carrier, 4th Season

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Derek Carrier (6’4”, 241 lbs) is the 49ers’ smallest tight end. At Beloit College he played wide receiver, and he still runs like one (4.50-second 40-yard dash, per NFLDraftScout.com).

The Niners signed Carrier to their practice squad in 2013 and promoted him to the 53-man roster midseason. Last season, Carrier was their second-leading receiver at tight end. He played 11 games and made nine catches before injuring his foot and missing the final five games of the season.

After the season, the 49ers gave Carrier a two-year extension even though he still had one year left on his contract. According to Spotrac, cutting him after training camp would create $400,000 in dead cap space. So the Niners probably don’t plan on cutting him.

Carrier missed all of OTAs and minicamp with a sprained foot. If the injury lingers into training camp and the regular season, the Niners can put him on the physically unable to perform list, and Celek can take his place as the No. 4 tight end until he returns.

3. Blake Bell, Rookie

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The 49ers had three fourth-round draft picks this year, and they spent their first one on a tight end—Blake Bell from the University of Oklahoma.

They probably drafted Bell (6'6", 252 lbs) to replace Vernon Davis as the primary receiving tight end in 2016 if Davis signs elsewhere during free agency. The Niners like to draft replacements at least a year before they need them.

Bell needs a year to develop. He has played tight end for only one season—he was a quarterback until his junior year at Oklahoma. He needs to get stronger and improve his blocking technique.

But that’s doesn’t mean he won’t play in 2015. He might be too good not to play. He was fantastic during team drills at minicamp, making eight catches—second most among the tight ends. Only Vernon Davis made more.

2. Vance McDonald, 3rd Season

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Vance McDonald is the best blocking tight end in the NFL.

Even though he played just 218 snaps last season (he missed eight games with a back injury), he earned a plus-9.2 blocking grade from Pro Football Focus—best among tight ends.

The second-highest-graded tight end in terms of blocking was Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs. He earned a plus-7.6 blocking grade in 688 snaps—more than three times as many snaps as McDonald played.

McDonald would play more if only he could stay healthy and hold on to the football. In two seasons with the Niners, he has made 10 catches, dropped four passes and fumbled once.

And he was even worse during training camp practices in the front of the media, sometimes dropping as many as four passes in an afternoon. He was hard to watch.

But he has played well so far this offseason. I haven’t seen McDonald drop a single pass yet. Maybe 2015 will be his breakout season.

1. Vernon Davis, 10th Season

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During OTAs and minicamp this year, Vernon Davis was the 49ers’ best overall receiver, not merely their best tight end.

No one on the 49ers defense could cover him. Even when the defense double-covered him with a linebacker and a strong safety, it still couldn't stop him.

That’s how well Davis played during the 2013 training camp, right before one of the best seasons of his career. His offseason performance foreshadowed his regular-season performance.

Last year, Davis was practically invisible during training camp, sometimes going days without catching a pass in a competitive team drill. Again, his offseason performance foreshadowed what was to come. Last season was one of Davis’ worst.

For the first time since 2013, Davis seems fast, healthy and motivated—2015 is a contract year for him. He’s playing for his final paycheck, and he seems ready to cash in.

All practice observations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Follow @grantcohn.