NFL Player News

Hooper hauled in both of his targets for 24 yards in Sunday's preseason loss to the Steelers.

Hooper's first catch, a 14-yard gain from the arm of Matt Ryan, helped set up a touchdown on the opening drive. Hooper has already caught three passes this preseason in limited duty, a rate far better than the 19 balls he caught in 14 games as a rookie. Much has been made about new offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian improving upon the system left by former coordinator Kyle Shanahan, and incorporating more passes to the tight ends could be one way Sarkisian goes about doing that. Notably, tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins was a focal point of Sarkisian's offenses at the University of Washington.

Paulsen has suited up for both of the 49ers' preseason contests, but he has yet to garner a target in the passing game.

The veteran tight end was brought in by Kyle Shanahan due to his familiarity with his offensive scheme from their days in Washington. This connection between the two may dismiss Paulsen's lack of touches, because his skill set should be already be clear to the 49ers' new head coach. San Francisco's third tight end job will likely come down to Paulsen and Garrett Celek.

Kittle (hamstring) made three receptions for 33 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's preseason loss to Denver.

The rookie's touchdown came on an impressive play in the third quarter where he corralled a pass in the flat from fellow rookie C.J. Beathard and proceeded to lower his shoulder and truck a Bronco corner, giving him a clear path to the end zone. Kittle's minor hamstring injury is behind him, and he is currently competing for meaningful snaps with Vance McDonald. While the latter has the edge for the starting gig in San Francisco, the rookie could make a strong push with more performances like the one he produced Saturday.

Smith caught five of seven targets for 47 yards during Saturday's preseason game against the Panthers.

Smith showed why the Titans used a third-round pick on him in April's draft, as the rookie frequently found holes in the middle of the defense and ultimately finished the day with a game-high five receptions. Though he's admittedly stuck behind the ultra-reliable Delanie Walker for the time being, Smith will make it hard for the coaching staff to keep him off the field if he continues producing. His next chance to shine will come Sunday against the Bears.

Bell pulled in the only pass thrown his way for 10 yards in Saturday's preseason loss to the Broncos.

It was the Bell's first reception and target of the preseason. The converted quarterback is currently in a six-man competition for -- presumably -- three tight end spots on the 53-man roster. The 26-year-old is currently behind training camp standout Vance McDonald and rookie George Kittle in terms of receiving tight ends, and his unpolished blocking skills places him behind seasoned vets Logan Paulsen and Garrett Celek. Barring injuries or a big swing in production, Bell could be on the outside looking in when it is time for rosters to be trimmed down.

Hill completed six of 11 passes for 49 yards and had six carries for 38 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's preseason victory over the Redskins.

Hill played sparingly in the preseason opener, but he finished the third quarter and played all of the fourth Saturday, securing a win for the Packers by capping off a 65-yard drive late in the fourth quarter with a 23-yard touchdown scamper. Hill still sits fourth on the depth chart at his position, but he is pushing fellow quarterback Joe Callahan for the No. 3 spot.

Everett caught all four of his targets for 30 yards -- including a 24-yard reception -- during Saturday's preseason win over Oakland.

This was a nice followup to Everett's two-catch showing in the preseason opener, and in particular, it was encouraging that three of the receptions came with the first-team offense. Quarterback Jared Goff and Everett connected three times for 29 yards. Tight end Tyler Higbee is still in the mix, and the receiving tree added a branch with the addition of Sammy Watkins, but Everett still has the upside to carve out a respectable role in the passing attack.

Kelce caught his only target for a 36-yard reception during Saturday's preseason win over Cincinnati.

Kelce hauled in his only reception on a deep pass down the middle and wasn't targeted again Saturday. He missed practice time earlier in camp and didn't suit up for the preseason opener because of swelling in his left knee, so just returning to game action was a positive for the veteran tight end. While he wasn't the beneficiary of the actual targets, it was also encouraging that tight end Demetrius Harris caught two touchdown passes inside the red zone Saturday. With just 14 touchdown catches over the past three seasons, fantasy owners would love to see Kelce more involved near the goal line. Perhaps, Harris' red-zone targets are a sign of things to come from the Kansas City offense in 2017.

Uzomah (ankle) isn't expected to play in Saturday's preseason game against the Chiefs, Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Uzomah missed out on the preseason opener as well due to a severely sprained left ankle. Tyler Kroft should again see added snaps in his absence.

Hodges had two receptions for 54 yards, including a 21-yard touchdown, in Friday's preseason loss at Seattle.

Hodges had receptions of 33 and 21 yards. He mostly played late in the game with the third- and fourth-string offense. He's still likely the fourth TE at this point on the depth chart. However, this game was a needed boost for his outlook after initial reports from training camp indicated his development has been slow.