Kyle Shanahan hopeful 49ers rookie has received injection of confidence

Very little had been going right for 49ers rookie tight end Cameron Latu. The third-round pick had been enduring a difficult training camp and preseason, struggling mightily with drops in training camp and making negative plays in the exhibition opener against the Raiders. However, Latu's fortunes changed dramatically on Saturday in the 49ers' preseason win […]

Nicholas McGee

Aug 21, 2023 9:05 AM EDT

Jul 27, 2023; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Cameron Latu (81) runs with the football after making a catch during training camp at the SAP Performance Facility. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports

Very little had been going right for 49ers rookie tight end Cameron Latu.

The third-round pick had been enduring a difficult training camp and preseason, struggling mightily with drops in training camp and making negative plays in the exhibition opener against the Raiders.

However, Latu's fortunes changed dramatically on Saturday in the 49ers' preseason win over the Broncos. The former Alabama tight end caught three passes for 46 yards, including a touchdown grab from Trey Lance. That score pulled the Niners within two points and they subsequently won 21-20 on a Jake Moody field goal.

Seen as a reach by the 49ers by many draftniks, Latu was a selection made with better production from George Kittle's backups at the position in mind.

And head coach Kyle Shanahan is hopeful Latu's performance could a springboard that helps him make the necessary strides to meet the expectations he faces.

Shanahan told reporters on Sunday:

"I thought his first catch was real good in that tight coverage, a good throw by Sam. And I thought the three others were pretty big plays that he had. So, I was happy for him because he’s been struggling with a few of those drops. So, sometimes when you have some success in the game like that, it can give you the confidence that you need to now move past that and start improving in all the other areas."

One strong preseason performance does not automatically erase the struggles Latu had experienced previously. What it should do for Latu, though, is give him some positive momentum. While his success was against backups, Latu can afford to have belief he can succeed at the highest level.

For a team that is keen to take at least some of the burden off Kittle's shoulders, having a young tight end with that kind of confidence could be extremely valuable.

There's a long way to go before the 49ers can have complete faith in relying on Latu as their second tight end, but a player whom some had talked about as a potential surprise cut candidate now looks to be heading down a much more positive path.