Giants claim 49ers sixth-round pick TE Kaden Smith off waivers

Per ESPN’s Field Yates, the New York Giants have claimed tight end Kaden Smith and waived RB Paul Perkins. In the past hour, I’ve already seen some overreactions from fans. Smith was a very good receiving tight end who struggled to separate. The San Francisco 49ers selected Smith in the sixth-round, and have had him inactive for the first two weeks of the season before waiving him this past Saturday when they promoted RB Jeff Wilson to the active roster.

Because Smith was a draft pick, it’s likely tougher to swallow than if Smith was an undrafted free agent. This is regular for most late-round picks. This should be a sign that the 49ers are improving their roster, and don’t have to worry about losing their would-be fourth-string tight end. It was a risk putting Smith on the practice squad, and Smith could develop into a high-end No. 2 tight end, but the odds of Smith impacting this 2019 49ers roster were slim. I do wish him the best of luck and hope he gets an opportunity in New York.