49ers coach Kyle Shanahan loves him some tight ends.
They are essential to the way he prefers to run his offense. With players that line up on the the line of scrimmage who can help in both the run and passing game, Shanahan is able to disguise any given play without offering any pre-snap hints to the opposing defense. 49ers tight end George Kittle is the best example of that kind of player, and clearly, Shanahan has used him quite effectively.
The 49ers operated out of 21 personnel -- a formation with two running backs, two wide receivers and one tight end -- 28 percent of the time last season, which was far more frequent than any other team in the league.