San Francisco 49ers: 5 Most Underrated Players in 2018

San Francisco 49ers, Garrett Celek
(Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports)

No. 3: Tight End Garrett Celek

Heading into 2018, most of the 49ers’ tight end focus is on second-year pro George Kittle. And rightfully so. His 43 receptions for 515 yards were the most out of any rookie tight end, drafted in Round 5 or later, during the modern football era.

Niners fans know of “Celek Time” — the moniker given to Kittle’s veteran teammate, Garrett Celek, who’ll wind up playing second fiddle to the former this season.

Don’t let Kittle’s ascendance fool you about Celek’s role this upcoming season, however.

Sure, Celek isn’t going to pop out on the stat sheet. His 21 receptions for 336 yards and four touchdowns is about what one might expect from the 30 year old this season. Instead, it’s what Celek does off the stat sheet that matters more.

The Read Optional’s Oliver Connolly broke down some of the things Celek does well that impacts San Francisco’s offense overall:

“Celek wasn’t targeted as much as Kittle; he didn’t even see as much of the field as the rookie, though the difference was nominal — Celek played 51% of the team’s snaps, compared to Kittle’s 53%, and Juszczyk’s 31%. But the veteran was more of a sure-thing — dropping one ball all season, while Kittle dropped seven, per Football Outsiders. And Celek averaged two yards per target more than Kittle — Celek: 10.1 yards per target; Kittle: 8.1 YPT; Juszczyk: 7.5 YPT.

Kittle was a rookie; he should get better. But he’s not coming to usurp Celek’s role in the offense. They serve two equally necessary functions. They don’t quite need each other, but they sure damn help each other out.”

Kittle is much more the offensive threat. But Celek, without sacrificing much by the way of offense, is more adept at blocking and remaining a legitimate pass-catching threat, therefore opening up more opportunities for San Francisco’s other pass catchers.

By doing so, Celek is a commodity most other teams wish they had.

Next Page: No. 2

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