San Francisco 49ers

49ers’ Star Tight End George Kittle Goes One-on-One

George Kittle is becoming a familiar name to even the causal NFL fan.

The second-year San Francisco 49er is proving to be one of the better tight ends in the NFL. He is having a huge year for the injury-ravaged 49ers. Kittle, 25, has 41 catches for 692 yards (that’s a whopping 16.9 per catch average) and three touchdowns

Kittle was cool enough to conduct a Q and A with Clayton Football on Wednesday. Here we go:

Did your Week 9 34-3 win over the Bay Area rival Raiders give the team an energy boost?

Kittle: “Anytime you win, you feel better. Winning cures all, so yeah, we feel better after winning after six losses. It feels good.”

You made some headlines for cheering on quarterback Nick Mullins in his interview with the NFL Network on the field last Thursday. What struck me was you were surrounded by Raiders fans. How did that happen?

George Kittle cheering on Nick Mullens during his postgame interview with us. 🤗 pic.twitter.com/Ak6KNaeNQE

— Colleen Wolfe (@ColleenWolfeNFL) November 2, 2018

Kittle: “It was funny, they were the only people down there. I thought I was going to get a hostile reaction, but they were great. They were like ‘we love you.’ I was like ‘yeaaaahhh.’ It was very fun.”

What struck me about Nick in his first game last week was his makeup. He seems very in control for such an inexperienced guy. It that a fair assessment?

Kittle:’ “Definitely. Nick deserves all of his success because of his preparation. On the first snap when we went in the huddle, he was in command. He has been the whole time. He didn’t miss a step.”

I know your record is 2-7, but it seems like coach Kyle Shanahan deserves a lot of credit for keeping you guys going in a tough season.

Kittle: “Coach Shanahan comes in each week and installs a great offensive game plan. It’s fun to watch it get installed and then play the game with it. He and the staff do a great job with it.”

I don’t know if you’re aware, but you are getting a lot of love on the mid-season All-Pro teams.

Ktttle: “We still have seven games left. Of course, I see things on social media and things, but you have to put it on the back burner. The focus is on finishing the season strong and that’s what I’m going to do.”

TNF Preview – Raiders, 49ers Right in Thick of Race for Top Pick

Usually at this time of the week, I preview the Thursday Night Game. However, that is getting skipped this week because the participants in that contest, Oakland at San Francisco, really just doesn’t move the needle. However, this battle of one-win teams does spark a conversation concerning the very top of the 2019 NFL Draft and this Thursday Nighter could go a long way to figuring out the early draft order.

Let’s look at the contenders for the No. 1 overall pick:

New York Giants

Current Record: 1-7

Where They Would Draft Today: 1^st

Remaining Schedule: Bye, at San Francisco, Tampa Bay, at Philadelphia, Chicago, at Washington, Tennessee, at Indianapolis, Dallas

Plan of Attack: Maybe the Giants can address their quarterback situation by trading for someone like Derek Carr or adding another veteran, but most likely, New York has to go quarterback at the top of the draft. Shockingly, the other teams on this list (with the possible exception of Oakland) will not be in the quarterback market. Unlike recent years, this doesn’t project to be a real top-heavy quarterback draft, but even if the Giants fall out of the first overall pick, they might still be in position to draft the top quarterback on the board. Quarterback has to be the top priority, but New York also needs help all over the defense and their offensive line is still a disaster.

San Francisco

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What Teams are Favorites to Land Oregon QB Justin Herbert

OK, it’s just the middle of October and there is plenty of NFL to be played this season.

Yet, because this is an ever-trending forward league, it’s always relevant to look toward the future and it appears were will have another intriguing offseason.

The 2019 draft appears to be loaded. There are several unit-changing defensive players available. However, this has always and will always be a quarterback-driven league. Quarterbacks especially rule in the draft.

While defenders like Nick Bosa and Ed Oliver will have plenty of draft house, there appears to be one name to keep the closest eye on – Justin Hebert of Oregon. Yes, the quarterback.

Scouts are talking Herbert up as a special talent and better than all of the high picked quarterbacks of recent years. If that’s the case, there will be plenty of teams jockeying to get him beginning prior to the February combine, which is not too far away.

So, let’s look at some of the early contenders for Herbert, presented in alphabetical order:

Denver: This may be one of the favorites. The Broncos are 2-4 and probably headed for another top-five pick. Herbert has been compared to John Elway. I’m sure Elway would like to get someone like him on his team. Case Keenum isn’t working out and he has a short contract. I can see Elway trying everything he can do to get a new quarterback.

Jacksonville: A longshot because the Jaguars would have to trade a lot to get this done. But the Jaguars are pretty set other than at quarterback. It would be worth it.

L.A. Chargers: Another longshot. Philip Rivers will turn 37 in December. But he is still playing at a high level. But Chargers could try to spend big and get some excitement going for the future in the new stadium. They are going to be roommate, the Rams’ caddie. They need to build some excitement in L.A.

Miami: Another longshot. But if the Dolphins decide Ryan Tannehill isn‘t the guy, they could make a bold move.

New England: Tom Brady isn’t going to be there forever, right? At some point, Bill Belichick is going to make a big move.

New York Giants: Another favorite. The Giants could get the No. 1 pick. They would have to take Herbert, right? Eli Manning is done. The Giants could be in good shape for the future with Herbert, Saquon Barkley and OBJ.

Oakland: They have Derek Carr, right? Well, with Jon Gruden running the show that might not matter. If the Raiders get the No. 1 pick and Chucky, a sucker for quarterbacks, falls for Herbert, Gruden will trade Carr and take Herbert.

San Francisco: The 49ers love Jimmy Garoppolo. But his injury could cause the 49ers to get the No.1 pick. If Kyle Shanahan decides he loves Herbert more than Jimmy G., he could get a huge return for the veteran. Just something to think about.