One of the quieter names in the 49ers’ tight end room has a real shot to survive roster cuts, and it’s Hayden Rucci. The reason is simple: San Francisco doesn’t have a lot of bodies at the position, and Rucci brings a very specific skill set the team needs.
George Kittle is already locked in, and so are his backup Jake Tonges and blocking tight end Luke Farrell. But Kittle might miss the first couple of weeks of the regular season, and the 49ers can’t realistically carry only two tight ends into the season. That leaves one spot in play among Brayden Willis, Josiah Deguara, and Rucci.
Willis and Deguara are the versatile types. In the 49ers’ preseason opener, Deguara logged 10 of his 33 offensive snaps as an inline tight end. He also lined up for nine snaps at fullback, 11 in the slot, and three out wide.
Willis was used in a similar way. He played 34 offensive snaps, with 14 coming inline.
He added 14 snaps in the slot, five in the backfield, and one out wide. Both players look more like Kyle Juszczyk backups, or Kittle stand-ins if needed.
That matters because if Tonges gets hurt, the room gets thin in a hurry.
Rucci, though, is built differently. He’s the classic in-line tight end, and every one of his 37 offensive snaps came there. In the preseason opener, he even checked in for two-tight-end looks and worked inline alongside Willis.
That gives Rucci a clear lane: he can back up Tonges or serve as the next man up behind Farrell. And since Farrell was the weak spot last season, with the run game taking a hit when Kittle was out, Rucci offers the kind of help that could matter.
He also isn’t brand new to the NFL. Rucci entered the league as a UDFA in 2024 and spent the past two years with the Miami Dolphins.
While this isn’t the same offense, there are similar concepts in play, and Rucci has already been called up and played 39 snaps last year. That kind of experience, paired with his role, gives him a legitimate chance to make a push and stick on the roster.
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