Brayden Willis

Career StatsF

Year	Team	GP	Rec	Yards	TD
Career		23	—	—	—
2025		6	0	0	0
2024		10	0	0	0
2023		7

Season	Team	GP	Rec	Yds	TD	YPR	Grade
2025		6	0	0	0	0.0	F F Bottom 5%
2024		10	0	0	0	0.0	F F Bottom 5%
2023		7	—	—	—	—	C- C- Below average

Grades reflect the player's performance in each season. Header grade shows the current season.

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

Brayden Willis's contract earns a F Contract Value Index, with the AAV sitting where the comparable-tier deals tend to settle. His 2025 season production of 6 tackles across 6 games reflects the reality of a depth-chart piece operating in limited snaps, and the performance grade aligns squarely with that output—there's no disconnect between what he's actually done on field and how the CVI evaluates the contract's value. At $1.145M annually on a one-year rookie deal, Willis is priced exactly where a seventh-round pick in his third season should be, but the contract grade craters because the performer hasn't yet justified even that modest investment with meaningful production at the tight end position, where the positional market demands consistent target share and efficiency. The media framing is unsparing: Willis is characterized as a circumstantial fill-in whose recent roster elevation stems entirely from injury necessity rather than competitive merit, and his zero career receptions through three NFL seasons cement his status as a developmental depth option with a firmly capped ceiling. For a 26-year-old third-year player competing in a high-profile San Francisco offense, this is a prove-it window—sustained production would be required to shift the narrative beyond replacement-level contributor, but the one-year structure at least prevents long-term organizational commitment to an unproven commodity. The F grade reflects not an egregious overpay, but rather the harsh reality that nothing Willis has shown has earned confidence his contract will generate value relative to cap efficiency and roster construction priorities.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the F band — a quick read on where Brayden's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

Among tight ends on the San Francisco 49ers, Brayden Willis's output grades to a F performance level. The 26-year-old third-year player has produced zero career receptions and zero receiving yards across three NFL seasons, which is the definitive marker of his replacement-level standing at the position. His 2025 season output of 6 tackles across 6 games reflects limited defensive snaps and minimal role definition in what remains a depth opportunity. Willis remains a seventh-round pick (2023, pick 247) on a rookie scale contract, and his recent elevation was a direct consequence of George Kittle's injury rather than earned playing time—he functions as a circumstantial roster filler rather than a developed or trusted option. The media narrative frames him as a transactional call-up whose ceiling appears tightly capped at practice-squad contributor status; absent a sustained production spike in a high-profile offense like San Francisco's, Willis has little pathway to shift public perception beyond organizational depth piece. His $1.1M AAV contract reinforces his standing as a minimum-commitment depth option with no structural commitment beyond immediate need. For Willis to meaningfully alter his standing heading into 2026, he would need to convert opportunities into measurable production—receptions, targets, and role clarity—rather than continuing to accumulate games as an emergency option.

How Brayden Compares at the Position

Brayden Willis ranks 163rd of 164 graded tight ends by performance. That slots Brayden between Thomas Yassmin (F) just ahead and Jack Westover (F) just behind.

Current Sentiment

Brayden Willis carries a **B-** sentiment grade that reflects his status as organizational depth rather than emerging talent. The media narrative around the 49ers tight end is notably transactional — he's viewed as a circumstantial roster fill-in whose recent visibility stems primarily from George Kittle's injury rather than his own merit. With zero career receptions through three NFL seasons and a minimum $1.1M AAV contract, Willis is framed as a developmental piece whose ceiling appears firmly capped at the practice-squad level. The coverage, while not negative, positions him as a roster move of necessity rather than a genuine breakout candidate, which keeps his public perception anchored at replacement-level status. For Willis to meaningfully shift this narrative in San Francisco's high-profile offense, he'd need sustained production to prove he's more than just an emergency option when the organizational depth chart gets tested.