Kaden Smith

Smith seemingly came out of nowhere last season, a rookie sixth-round pick who had run a 4.92 40-yard dash and been cut in September by the team that drafted him (49ers). He lingered at the bottom of the Giants' depth chart for a couple months after he was claimed on waivers, eventually landing in the starting lineup after Rhett Ellison and Evan Engram suffered season-ending injuries. Smith responded with 30 catches for 267 yards and three touchdowns in his six starts, averaging 6.8 targets while playing at least 91 percent of snaps in each game. Smith was essentially a competent dump-off target and nothing more, which actually is pretty good for a rookie at a position with a steep learning curve. The Giants added Levine Toilolo as their blocking specialist to replace the retired Ellison, but it likely will be Smith serving as the top pass catcher if/when Engram misses more time with an injury.

The 49ers used a late-round pick on one of the slowest tight ends in the draft, but what Smith lacks in speed, he makes up for in pure blocking ability and sure hands. The Stanford product appears to be an excellent complement to George Kittle's explosive offensive style. For now, Smith may have to compete for the third spot on the depth chart with Levin Toilolo, who possesses a similar skill set to Smith.