George Kittle wasn't only Pro Football Focus' highest-graded tight end last season; he was the highest-graded NFL player, period. His 95.0 grade ties the highest ever earned by a player during the Pro Football Focus era (OT Jonathan Ogden - 95.0 in 2007; DL Aaron Donald - 95.0 in 2018).
The San Francisco 49ers' All-Pro tight end recorded 621 yards after the catch, which led all receivers and tight ends last season. Another area where he displayed his dominant play was in forced missed tackles. Kittle had 20 — again, leading all receivers and tight ends.
George Kittle: only TE/WR to force 20 missed tackles in 2019 pic.twitter.com/BsXohYeTbm
— PFF (@PFF) June 8, 2020
Interestingly, another 49ers player tied for the No. 2 spot on the list — wide receiver Deebo Samuel. If you include postseason play, Samuel actually jumps into the No. 1 spot (among WRs and TEs) ahead of Kittle with 23 avoided tackles after a reception. The second-year receiver's 484 regular-season yards after the catch ranked No. 7 among receivers and tight ends. He had 563, including the playoffs.
Kittle is preparing to enter his fourth NFL season, with the 49ers looking to lock him up to a long-term deal. Of course, that has proven to be challenging to accomplish, given the tight end's ability to transcend the position. Not only is he the dangerous receiving threat, but he has also proven to be one of the league's most capable blockers.
"He's unique. He's a unicorn. He's one of a kind," Kittle's agent, Jack Bechta, recently told NBC Sports Bay Area.
One can't determine his value by merely looking at his contributions as a tight end, and that has stalled negotiations.
Meanwhile, Samuel has his first NFL season behind him and will be looking to build on his impressive rookie campaign. That will likely include taking on a more prominent leadership role following the departure of veteran receiver Emmanuel Sanders.
"Deebo Samuel was a rookie last year, and I feel like just the changes that I've seen in him in just the last three months have been incredible," Kittle said in May. "He's grown up a lot. He's really looking forward to being back out there and looking forward to leading."
