Two selections after selecting Michigan Wolverines kicker Jake Moody with the No. 99 overall pick, the San Francisco 49ers utilized their second third-round compensatory selection on Alabama Crimson Tide tight end Cameron Latu, potentially finding their backup tight end to star George Kittle, which the organization has attempted to accomplish for the past four seasons.
Latu had been connected to the 49ers during the pre-draft process, as the team brought in the Alabama product on a Top-30 visit amongst other tight ends.
However, was Latu the best value selection at the back end of the third round?
With a run on tight ends occurring during the second round of the NFL Draft, where five players at the position were selected, the 49ers pounced on the position, but reached on Latu, whose athletic profile wasn't amongst the best in his class, and also possesses a few concerns with his production at Alabama.
Latu posted a 4.78 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, with his entire testing coming out primarily average across the board.
Additionally, Latu's frame and strength limit his upside as a blocker, although he did show upside at Alabama on zone-blocking concepts and moving smaller defenders in space.
Despite his average speed, Latu is a solid route-runner at the position, but struggled with concentration drops, posting an 11.1% career drop rate at Alabama.
Top TE prospects with career drop rates over 10%
Luke Musgrave (16.1%) Will Mallory (11.5%) Cameron Latu (11.1%) Tucker Kraft (10.8%) Darnell Washington (10.0%)
However, Latu isn't elusive, which can limit after-the-catch opportunities, and questions the translation to the next level, although he has showcased versatility to play both inline and in the slot.
Overall, Latu is an average prospect, but his frame, athletic profile, and dropped passes limit his ceiling as a player, while better talents at the position were still available on the board at No. 99.
The 49ers reached here, but Latu could be a solid second option for the 49ers, being a good redzone threat with 12 touchdowns over the past two years as a receiver.
The flip side to my opinion below is that there is certainly the type of athlete who gets on a pro team and really takes advantage and gets their routine and conditioning down to a professional standard. They become better athletes and players than anything they showed previously...Thats my hope for Latu and the team is quoted as saying they believe Latu is on the upswing...So who knows
I realize its tough to get excited about a draft when your 1st pick isnt until almost the 4th round...But I hated this pick and this was the hardest draft Ive ever had to watch. Trey Lance needs to pan out or they seriously screwed up, there is no other way to say it.
Rohan Chakravarthi and Jessie Naylor break down Day 1 of the San Francisco 49ers OTAs that was available to media.
The audio for the show is embedded above, while the video is available below.
You can listen to "The Rohan Chakravarthi Show" from our dedicated podcast page, on
Kyle Shanahan feels "really fortunate" with 49ers' QB room
By David Bonilla
May 24
Kyle Shanahan praises his quarterback room every year. Last season, the San Francisco 49ers went through three starting quarterbacks and still made it to the NFC Championship Game. Trey Lance was the Week 1 starter but suffered a season-ending ankle injury during his second game. Eleven weeks later, Jimmy Garoppolo sustained a broken foot.
That opened the door for rookie Brock Purdy to show his coaches and the NFL world that he belonged, despite being the last overall pick in the draft. Purdy guided the 49ers to eight consecutive wins before suffering a severe injury in that NFC title game matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Two of the quarterbacks from last season—Lance and Purdy—remain. Both are just 23 years old. They are joined by Sam
The San Francisco 49ers entered the offseason with several questions after key figures, such as Jimmie Ward, Mike McGlinchey, Samson Ebukam, and Charles Omenihu, departed in free agency, creating the possibility for position battles in organized team activities(OTAs) and training camp.
While several of the starting spots are solidified, there are still a few position battles to watch, as well as depth questions that could allow younger players to compete and take 53-man roster spots at the end of the offseason.
Let's break down some of those battles to watch and how they could play out for the 49ers, outside of the obvious competition at
Podcast: Questions that need to be answered during 49ers OTAs
By Rohan Chakravarthi
May 24
Rohan Chakravarthi and Suneil discuss the quarterback competition and position battles to watch during the San Francisco 49ers' OTAs.
The audio for the show is embedded above, while the video is available below.
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You can listen to "The Rohan Chakravarthi Show" from our
