The San Francisco 49ers added eight undrafted free agents to the offseason roster, and while there’s no guarantee any will make the final 53-man squad, a few could earn spots for the 2026 season.
The Athletic’s Matt Barrows is adding another UDFA to the list of potential roster-makers: Penn State tight end Khalil Dinkins. The 6-foot-4, 251-pounder is the son of former NFL tight end Darnell Dinkins, who played seven seasons in the NFL for four different teams.
I’m not saying he takes off in 2026, but he’s such an effective blocker that it’s easy to see the 49ers keeping him around this season. The team doesn’t have an abundance of tight ends on its roster, and one of them, George Kittle, won’t practice much, if at all, this spring and summer. A young guy like Dinkins ought to get plenty of repetitions.
Dinkins never had more than 14 receptions for 167 yards and two scores in a single season for the Nittany Lions, which is what he had in 2025. He had a similar stat line in 2024. But, as Barrows mentioned, he’s heralded as a great blocker who lined up mostly inline (61.5 percent of snaps, per The Athletic).
If the 49ers aren’t confident Kittle can return quickly, Dinkins is someone who could fill in early on as a blocking tight end with Jake Tonges as more of the pass-catcher.
The other names to watch in the tight end room are Luke Farrell Hayden Rucci and Brayden Willis. None are very exciting, so perhaps the 49ers will look at some fresh faces to round out the depth chart at this position.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers insider predicts this unheralded UDFA will make the roster
Reporting by Oliver G., Niners Wire / Niners Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
