NFL training camps open across the league this week as teams get back to work to chase the ultimate goal. The San Francisco 49ers veterans report today to camp and will include newly extended tight end George Kittle. Coming off a stellar season of efficiency as a pass catcher and as the league’s best run blocker, Kittle is showing no signs of slowing down at age 31.
Pro Football Focus concluded their top 50 NFL player list, and Kittle finished at number nine. Kittle had company from his teammates
with Fred Warner at 24, Trent Williams at 17, and Nick Bosa at 12. Kittle is the number one tight end on the list heading into 2025.
George Kittle
There are few, if any, players like George Kittle in today’s NFL. His rare ability to dominate both as a receiver and blocker sets him apart. Kittle led all tight ends with a 92.1 PFF grade in 2024, more than five points higher than anyone else at the position. He paired a league-best 92.4 receiving grade and 14.2 yards per reception with a 70.8 run-blocking grade, second among tight ends. With Travis Kelce showing signs of decline, Kittle enters 2025 as the clear No. 1 at his position.
Nick Bosa
Bosa set a PFF rookie record with 102 pressures in 2019 and hasn’t slowed down since. He’s posted a PFF grade of 89.4 or higher in each of the past four seasons while leading all edge defenders in total pressures over that span. In 2024, his 91.0 grade ranked third among edge defenders with 300 or more snaps. As the 49ers develop young talent around him, Bosa remains the cornerstone of their defensive front.
Trent Williams
The fact that Williams’ 85.6 PFF grade in 2024 is his lowest since arriving in San Francisco underscores just how dominant he’s been. He leads all tackles with a staggering 97.7 PFF grade and 2.34 PFF WAR over the last five seasons. Even after a slight dip and missing the final seven weeks last year, Williams remains one of the NFL’s elite offensive linemen heading into his age-37 season.
Fred Warner
Given his production in San Francisco, especially over the past five years, Warner has cemented himself as the NFL’s top linebacker. He’s finished among the top five linebackers in overall grade every year since 2019, including a first-place ranking in 2020 and second-place finishes in each of the last three seasons. Equally dominant against the run and in coverage, Warner has earned 80.0-plus grades in both facets each of the past three years.
The 49ers still have massive star power on their roster. The key is health for the cornerstone players.
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