The 49ers have a bye week, so let’s rank them position by position based solely on what they’ve done this season. So far we have noted the quarterback, ball carriers And wide receivers.

POSITION: Tight end

NAMES : George Kittle, Eric Saubert

GRADE: A-Plus

COMMENTS: The 49ers still haven’t found a no. 2 tight ends worth playing more than a handful of snaps per game. Eric Saubert is currently the number 1. 2 and he is a good run blocker, but he doesn’t do much to help the team in passing as a pass blocker or as a receiver.

But who cares? The 49ers have George Freaking Kittle.

No disrespect to Saubert, but this mark reflects Kittle’s exceptional season. Someone on offense had to step up once Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk went down, and so far, no one has stepped up more than Kittle. In seven games, he made 40 catches on 49 targets and led the 49ers with 503 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns. And he just turned 31. He hasn’t been the go-to guy in the 49ers passing game in five years. Now he plays like he’s 26. We wonder what he could have done if Kyle Shanahan had asked him for more passes in recent seasons.

Kittle has become an elite red zone weapon who can make contested catches on multiple defenders. And he remains a devastating blocker and big threat for YAC. He’s the best tight end in the NFL now that Travis Kelce is officially on the decline. And if Kittle stays healthy, he’ll also one day enter the Hall of Fame.

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