PFF: 49ers TE George Kittle is a Better Player than Brandon Aiyuk

Both Kittle and Aiyuk are elite blockers and both get fewer targets on the 49ers than they would on other teams. They each make the same sacrifice. And yet last season, Aiyuk had more catches than Kittle.

Nov 15, 2021; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) celebrates next to tight end George Kittle (85) after making a catch for a first down against the Los Angeles Rams in the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports / Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Ranking the 49ers' superstar playmakers on offense can be difficult because they share the spotlight and make each other better.

Christian McCaffrey clearly is the best playmaker on the offense -- he just won the Offensive Player of the Year Award. But who's the second-best playmaker on the offense?

According to Pro Football Focus, it's George Kittle. They recently ranked him the 19th-best player in the NFL, and they ranked Brandon Aiyuk the 49th-best player in the NFL. Quite a large gap between the two.

Here's what PFF analyst Sam Monson wrote about Kittle:

"In a different offense, George Kittle would be unquestionably viewed as one of the most devastating players in the game. San Francisco has so many mouths to feed, however, that we only get glimpses of what he could do if he was given a high-volume workload. Eight different tight ends saw more targets than Kittle last season, including two rookies, but Kittle led the position in yards per route run (2.22) and averaged two full yards per reception more than any other tight end."

Here's what Monson wrote about Aiyuk:

"Brandon Aiyuk doesn’t get the volume of targets that other elite receivers do, but it’s because there are so many mouths to feed in Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers offense. Aiyuk is one of the most efficient receivers in football on the targets he does receive. Only Tyreek Hill earned a higher PFF grade among wideouts than Aiyuk last season, and he averaged 3.01 yards per route run, dropping only two of the 101 targets sent his way."

Monson's analysis doesn't hold water. Both Kittle and Aiyuk are elite blockers and both get fewer targets on the 49ers than they would on other teams. They each make the same sacrifice. And yet last season, Aiyuk had more catches than Kittle, more yards than Kittle, more yards per catch than Kittle, more yards per route run than Kittle and more touchdowns than Kittle. He simply was better than Kittle.

To be fair, Kittle played the second half of the season with a core muscle injury and a shoulder injury and both required offseason surgery. And he still is the second-best tight end in the NFL. But it's hard to say he's a better player than Aiyuk.