Pro Football Focus didn’t hesitate when it came to George Kittle.
In its latest tight end rankings for all 32 teams, PFF put the San Francisco 49ers star at No. 1, calling him “the gold standard when it comes to the tight end position.” That’s a familiar place for Kittle, who has spent years separating himself from the pack as one of the league’s most complete players at the position.
PFF backed up the top spot with plenty of numbers. The outlet noted that in 2025, Kittle led all tight ends in PFF grade with a 90.7 mark for the third straight season and the fifth time in his nine-year career.
PFF also pointed out that he has finished among the five highest-graded tight ends in the league every year except his rookie season, while standing out as both a receiver and a run blocker. On top of that, PFF said he has been the most valuable tight end in the league over the past three seasons by its Wins Above Replacement metric.
That’s the part that keeps Kittle in a class of his own. He isn’t just a pass catcher lined up at tight end.
He’s a real tight end in the fullest sense, one who blocks with consistency and does it at a level that can stack up with offensive linemen. That all-around game is what has made him so hard to match.
Still, the timing of the ranking makes it a little tricky. Kittle tore his Achilles tendon about half a year ago, and rankings like this always raise the same question: are they built on what happened last season, or on what’s coming next?
If it’s purely about projecting the upcoming year, Kittle probably wouldn’t be the obvious choice at No. 1.
There is at least some encouraging news on that front. He has a good chance to play in the first four games of the season, which gives the 49ers reason to feel better about where he stands now.
Even with the injury, the ranking makes sense. Kittle has earned that respect by doing the job the way a tight end is supposed to do it, not by playing like a bigger wide receiver. That distinction is exactly why PFF put him at the top.
In Other News...
George Kittle Just Shared A Wild Kyle Shanahan Fight Story
George Kittle has a way of turning even a casual offseason memory into a full-on locker room story, and his latest one goes back to a 49ers trip to Cabo years ago. The tight end was talking about a golf outing that included both families and a few drinks, when a playful exchange with Kyle Shanahan escalated into a moment that sounded more like a backyard dare than a coach-player relationship.
For San Francisco, stories like that are part of the backdrop to a season that always seems to carry a little extra personality under Shanahan and Kittle. The same article also circles back to the roster picture, including Dre Greenlaws emotional return to the facility and the buzz around Jacob Cowing as a potential camp standout, but the Kittle anecdote is the kind of thing that reminds you how loose and human this group can be before the real football starts. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Camp Absences Suddenly Put Early Week 1 Focus On Four Names
The 49ers first week of training camp already has a different feel because of the names sitting out and the roster shuffling around them. General manager John Lynch said the team waived undrafted rookie tight end Khalil Dinkins with a non-football injury designation and brought in Tanner McLachlan, a 2024 sixth-round pick most recently with the Bengals, while defensive tackle Evan Anderson is expected to be released once a corresponding move is made.
More pressing for San Francisco is the group starting camp on the active/PUP list, with George Kittle, Isaac Guerendo, Mykel Williams and Alfred Collins all set to begin on the sideline. Lynch said Kittles rehab is coming along tremendously and that he is doing everything possible to be ready for Week 1, while Williams is also making every effort to be available for the opener even if that remains uncertain. [Read more 🡒]
5 Young 49ers Could Force Their Way Into Camp Battles
Training camp has a way of turning depth-chart guesses into real competition, and the 49ers have a handful of young players who could make that happen before the pads even come on. Jordan James, Jacob Cowing, Romello Height, Kurtis Rourke and Ephesians Prysock all arrive with different paths, but the same basic challenge: show enough early to make the staff keep them in the conversation for roles that are still very much up for grabs.
For some, the opening is obvious. Cowing can help himself on special teams even before he proves more as a receiver, while Height is the kind of edge presence the 49ers have been searching for in the right situation. Rourke is trying to stand out in a quarterback room that already has established names, and Prysock has a chance to make life interesting in the secondary. James, meanwhile, is in the middle of a backfield race that could be decided by who looks most ready when camp starts sorting out the pecking order. [Read more 🡒]