As many thought they might, the San Francisco 49ers used one of their three third-round draft picks on a tight end on Friday, selecting Cameron Latu of the University of Alabama with the 38th pick in the third round and 101st overall.
The selection of Latu marks the highest draft spot for a 49ers tight end since the fifth-round selection of George Kittle in 2017. Here's what 49ers fans need to know about Latu as he makes his way to the Bay Area.
A converted linebacker
Latu began his time at Alabama as a linebacker but was moved to tight end as a redshirt freshman. He didn't see any passes thrown his way until his junior season (2021), during which he had 26 receptions for 410 yards and eight touchdowns. He followed that performance with 30 catches for 377 yards and four touchdowns as a senior.
Former Alabama offensive coordinator (and current University of Texas head coach) Steve Sarkisian approached Latu with the possibility of moving to tight end in 2019, as did Alabama head coach Nick Saban. Latu saw some time at tight end during his high school days in Utah and was receptive to making the switch.
"When Coach Sarkisian came into the picture with the offensive coordinator position at Alabama, he kind of questioned to see if I wanted to play the position," Latu told reporters Friday evening. "And then Coach Saban also asked me the same question because we kind of needed bodies at tight end, and I kind of played the position in high school and could fit the position, he thought. I made the switch for the team, and it ended up being a great fit for myself and just started developing towards that position daily, finding weaknesses every day."
The 49ers think he's trending upward
Latu dealt with knee issues early in his senior season, but he was able to recover and show improvement in his game as the year progressed. The 49ers liked seeing that improvement in the short term and also felt he was a player with plenty of growth potential, which is part of the reason they chose him in the third round.
"I think it's one of the things we liked about him the most, that he looked like a good player but also how much better he got throughout the year and how much more we think is in his body," 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said. "And then you look at his history and knowing he came in playing linebacker the first two years I think, switched over, so he's late to the position. And as you watch him throughout the year, we think he can get a lot better in the run game and the pass game.
"Usually you designate guy one or the other. He's a run blocker or a pass blocker, I mean, or a pass game guy. And we see this guy as both and he could accelerate in both, and that's important to us with all our tight ends."
Latu would agree with Shanahan's assessment, telling reporters he felt he could help in any way the 49ers needed.
"You could put me in anywhere, at any position," Latu said. "I think I could be excellent at it. I have areas to improve in both passing and run blocking, but that's just technical things that I probably need to work on and that's what I'm going to tag daily when I get there."
Latu likes what he sees from George Kittle and the 49ers
With Kittle being one of the top tight ends in the NFL, Latu has seen his share of what the 49ers do from the tight end position. He's looking forward to getting involved with the 49ers offense and continuing to learn from Kittle.
"Yeah, I watched a lot of their tape and a lot of run stuff that we do at Alabama," Latu said. "We kind of stole from the 49ers because their run game package is pretty phenomenal in that area and just the key factors of George Kittle's blocking and his technique, and I learned a lot from him in that part of the game. And then you go to the passing game, he does the same thing just as well. Contested catches, (yards) after the catch. I just know that he really used the tight end heavy and I'm excited to go learn under that offense."
Kittle has been quick to take young tight ends under his wing in recent years. He'll likely do the same with Latu.
"I try to model my game after George watched him these last two years with my tight ends coach, and just try to take tools that he's been using in the run game and passing game and just apply it to my game," Latu said. "So to team up with him and be on the same team is very a blessing just to be able to learn on him."
A friend on the 49ers
Latu won't entirely be a stranger to the players on the 49ers roster when he arrives. He's already friendly with 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga, whom he met as a high school recruit.
"He was in the 2018 (recruiting) class," Latu said. "He was the number one athlete coming out of high school. That's what I've known him as. I met him at a couple of camps, and the fact that we're both Polynesian kind of just made us magnets to each other. We met each other, became friends, and I followed his career, and he's been doing it in the NFL. He's been balling, made All Pro last year. He's the real deal."
Latu said he heard from Hufanga after being selected by the 49ers. Soon he'll get the chance to compete against Hufanga in practice.
"I can't wait to go work with him, and he's going to get me better every day," Latu said.
Scout opinions
Latu was among a deep tight end crop in this year's draft. His rankings varied greatly from analyst to analyst.
College Football News rated Latu as the No. 6 tight end in the draft, while the Pro Football Network rated him seventh. The Draft Network rated him 18th (238th player overall), while CBS Sports rated him 14th (228th overall). ESPN rated Latu 14th at the position and 181st overall, while NFL.com rated Latu as a fifth-round pick.
"High-hipped pass-catching tight end with run blocking fortitude to mold," wrote Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. "Latu's lean legs and angular frame aren't made for drive blocking or neutralizing bigger players, but he does a nice job of sustaining move blocks in space. He changes route speed to open throwing windows over the first two levels. There are some issues with focus drops at times, but he plucks throws with good hand extension when possible. Latu could have roster appeal as an F tight end with an average ceiling."
