George Kittle has returned from his Achilles injury for the 2026 season, but the San Francisco 49ers could still be thinking about their future at tight end.

That's why NBC Sports' Connor Rogers projected Oregon tight end Jamari Johnson to San Francisco at No. 31 in his post-trade deadline mock draft. Here's his reasoning:

At 33 years old George Kittle is an ageless (and return from injury) wonder, but that shouldn't stop the 49ers from thinking big at tight end. Even if Kittle continues to hold off decline, this is a team that lives in heavy personnel groupings. Johnson is a weapon up the seam and a very consistent separator.

The 6-foot-5, 255-pound Johnson has been productive for the Ducks this season. Through seven games, he has 29 catches for 370 yards and three touchdowns. He also has a rushing touchdown, giving him four total scores and 372 yards from scrimmage.

That is a jump from last season. In 2025, Johnson averaged 34.0 receiving yards per game, and he has already reached about 73% of his 2025 yardage total (510) with half the games played.

Johnson started his college career at Louisville, appearing in five games in 2023 without a catch. In 2024, he caught 13 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown in seven games. He transferred to Oregon in 2025 and caught 32 passes for 510 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games, averaging 15.9 yards per reception, his best mark in college.

Other than Kittle, the 49ers don't have much depth at tight end, either. Jake Tonges suffered a significant knee injury before the season, and it's unclear how he'll return to the field in 2027. Johnson would be a luxury pick for the 49ers at the end of the first round, but it's one that could work out well.

The pedigree for Johnson is solid, too. Former Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq was a first-round pick by the New York Jets in 2026 and looks like a great player, while Terrence Ferguson was a second-round pick by the Los Angeles Rams out of Oregon in 2025 and has been good when he's healthy enough to play.

With the 49ers' offense being one of the oldest in the NFL this year, it might make sense for John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan to look at younger options for Brock Purdy — especially after adding receiver De'Zhaun Stribling in the second round of the 2026 draft.