The 49ers are doing their homework on a talented tight end class in the 2023 draft, and it appears they’re looking to add another productive pass catcher at the position. That’s what they’d be getting with Alabama’s Cameron Latu, who met with San Francisco this week according to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero.
Latu has been a popular mock draft selection for the 49ers late in the third round, and he might quickly be the best pass catcher they’ve had in the tight end room with George Kittle.
While San Francisco has found some success with the likes of Ross Dwelley and Charlie Woerner, both of those players are at their best in blocking-first roles. Latu would certainly need to be a capable blocker, but his pass-catching numbers indicate he could specialize in that area as a pro in ways Dwelley and Woerner have not.
Latu measured in at the combine at 6-4, 242 pounds. He’s a willing blocker, but he’s not necessarily built to be a mauler the way Kittle has been. However, he can hold his own as an in-line blocker while bringing the athleticism to play more of an H-back role where he’s blocking on the move.
Over his final two years with the Crimson Tide, Latu turned into a reliable receiver. He hauled in 56 balls for 787 yards and 12 touchdowns after logging zero receptions over his first three college seasons.
He has room to grow as a blocker and receiver, but his baseline coming into the league would be higher than either Dwelley’s or Woerner’s, and it stands to reason he could be enough of a pass-catching threat to turn San Francisco’s multiple tight end sets into a game-planning nightmare for opposing defenses.
The 49ers wouldn’t need Latu to be great, they just need some consistent productivity alongside Kittle, and he’s just as capable of providing it as any other player they’d find late on Day 2 of the draft.
