San Francisco 49ers: George Kittle and Laken Tomlinson praise a pair of 49ers rookies

Rookie wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk was in the headlines for his performance at San Francisco 49ers training camp, but two other freshmen are impressing their veteran teammates.

Charlie Woerner joins a room crowded with tight ends. Superstar George Kittle is the frontman of the group which also includes Jordan Reed and Ross Dwelley. Woerner – who is a 2020 sixth-round pick – is still learning the professional game. While expectations aren’t high for the 22-year-old Georgia product, Kittle sees the potential in him to become an influential NFL player.

“Charlie has come a long way, you know, real fast and, you know, it’s just, it’s really amazing. Uh, he takes the offense very quickly. He knows what he’s good at. And he does his best to excel in these areas. He’s really good at the racing game. We’re working on his footwork, which everyone has to work on to get the NFL, which is different. But he’s got the right frame of mind. Every time he is there he tries to improve himself. He tries to improve every shot and you can see it. It’s fair, it’s a great energy and it’s a great vibe to have known for a long time in the narrow end room. Every day it has improved since the first day I worked with them, I can tell how far it has come. And I can also say that he has a long way to go. But only the improvements he made were really fun and you know, just being a leader in the tight ends room. I always try to be a leader for anyone. But not having a Charlie, who reminds me a bit of myself, excels at the racing game and finds out things from the past game. I will say I think he’s more advanced than me as a rookie, especially in the racing game. He’s a strong guy with thick hands when he puts them on people. So he’s going to be a very good player for us. I am just delighted to see its evolution.

Well, George, if Woerner reminds you of yourself, then he’s on the right track.

On the defensive side of the ball, rookie Javon Kinlaw seems to have hit a wall a bit after a strong start. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said the South Carolina product is still learning the finer points of his position. Kinlaw relies too much on his strength and has yet to refine his technique to realize his potential. Still, Saleh is confident the 22-year-old will have a solid rookie season.

Veteran guard Laken Tomlinson has faced Kinlaw in individual drills in training and asked for his assessment of the rookie so far.

“He’s improving a lot. Every day is a battle with them and he’s a guy who can take the coaching. Coach Kris is on him. Coach Shanahan is on him. He’s about a very humble guy, but he goes out there, he gives everything he can and you can see it on the movie that he’s learning and adjusting to speed and he’s doing a good job. I’m just going against myself and learning to play at the level that we expect him to do, but I think he’s doing a really good job right now. He shows up a lot and gives us problems. I think he’s going to be okay … When he’s focused on something, then he really goes out there and really tries to work on it and he really tries to accomplish it. And you see it on tape. He’s a big guy, he’s a specimen man.

The good news for Kinlaw is that the 49ers have a ton of depth on the defensive line, which allows the team to be patient with him as he develops. Tomlinson added that DJ Jones has improved since last season and his passing moves are more refined than they were in 2019.