The San Francisco 49ers are working to restructure George Kittle's contract. They aim to extend the All-Pro tight end's deal and increase the likelihood of his retiring as a Niner.
"We want George to retire a Niner," general manager John Lynch said Wednesday. "He's one of those guys. He's a Niner through and through. And so, we want that to become a reality."
While Kittle remains a key offensive contributor, he will turn 32 during the upcoming season. The 49ers are likely looking to bolster their depth at tight end to ease his workload and ensure long-term stability at the position.
According to Grant Cohn of Sports Illustrated, the 49ers met with Michigan tight end Colston Loveland at the NFL Scouting Combine, signaling potential interest in adding young talent to the position group through the draft.
Loveland recorded 117 receptions for 1,466 yards and 11 touchdowns in three seasons with the Wolverines, with the bulk of his production coming in the past two years.
While he earned an impressive 85.9 offensive grade from Pro Football Focus last season, his blocking grades—53.3 in the run game and 30.9 in pass protection—were underwhelming. Still, at 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, he possesses a similar frame to Kittle.
Some respected beat writers have explored the possibility of the 49ers using their first-round pick—No. 11 overall—on a tight end. Both Matt Barrows of The Athletic and Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area have projected San Francisco selecting Penn State's Tyler Warren in recent mock drafts.
However, the 49ers could opt to trade down and still land a player like Loveland. Most mock drafts project him to be selected in the latter half of the first round, with some ranking him as high as a top-20 pick.