The 49ers are drastically overhauling their offense after finishing with one of the most anemic attacks in the NFL in 2016.

That includes bringing in four new quarterbacks, eight new receivers, five new running backs and three new tight ends to the offseason 90-man roster. New coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch are tailoring the roster to fit new systems on both sides of the ball.

Shanahan and Lynch already decided not to bring back any of the quarterbacks from last year’s team. And the same could hold true for a lackluster tight end group that hasn’t featured a dynamic weapon since Vernon Davis circa 2013.

That makes rookie George Kittle, the fifth-round pick from Iowa, an intriguing name to watch at the start of training camp and into 2017. Lynch said Kittle is “a guy who really flashed” throughout the offseason program.

“He’s got some suddenness to him in his movements. He catches the ball extremely well,” Lynch said of Kittle on KNBR’s Gary and Larry this week.

“So I think George gives us something we don’t have, and a playmaker in the red zone, where you got a one-on-one match up, we’re confident we’re going to move the ball because Kyle knows how to put together an offense and we’ve got guy who fits into what he wants to do.”

Kittle (6-4, 247) impressed his new team in the offseason program. He split most of the first-team reps with free addition Logan Paulsen, while incumbents Vance McDonald, Garrett Celek and Blake Bell got the bulk of their time with reserves. Rookies aren’t often immediately inserted with the starters upon arrival.

Kittle offers the 49ers size unique to their group of pass catchers. Of their projected top five receivers (Pierre Garçon, Jeremy Kerley, Marquise Goodwin, Aldrick Robinson, Trent Taylor), only Garçon eclipses 6-foot, which might make things difficult when the field gets compressed and the receivers don’t have room to separate.

“One thing you have to be able to do when you’re down in the red zone and everything tightens up, have guys that can just man-on-man beat the guy in front of him,” Lynch said.

“We feel like George Kittle maybe can give us something where he is that guy who can win a one-on-one situation. You can flex him out, you can put him in the middle of the field and he can impose his will, just out-athlete people. That has been extremely positive. We thought that coming in, but then he probably exceeded our expectations.”

Kittle at Iowa wasn’t a featured option in the passing game. The Hawkeyes relied heavily on a pro-style, power running attack and needed tight ends to focus on blocking. Kittle was considered one of the best blocking tight ends available in the recent draft, but his pass catching might have gone under the radar.

“One thing at Iowa, if you can’t run block, then you don’t play tight end at Iowa. So I took a lot of pride in it,” Kittle said in the spring. “My favorite quote ever is, ‘Moving a man from point A to point B against his will is the greatest feeling you’ll feel.’ I take that to heart. Just being able to do that and burry somebody is a pretty good feeling.”

As a featured blocker, Kittle logged just 20 and 22 catches in his final two seasons, respectively. He tested better prior to the draft than many expected, running a 4.52 in the 40-yard dash and posting a 38.5-inch vertical jump at his pro day.

The 49ers made it known during the draft that they were listening to trade offers for McDonald, who didn’t do much to solidify his starting job in spring practices that were open to reporters.

The 2013 second-round selection of former GM Trent Baalke has been plagued by inconsistent hands throughout his career. Baalke signed him to a five-year extension in December while McDonald enters 2017 with just 64 receptions for 866 yards combined in his four seasons. The 49ers might have to eat $3.5 million in dead money if McDonald doesn’t make the 53-man roster.

That might be the more appealing option if Kittle continues to exceed the club’s expectations when the pads come on in late July.

“George is a guy you can tell he is going for it, because the way he competes on the field,” Shanahan said earlier this month. “Mainly, what he does off the field too. He’s really trying to learn it and that’s given him a chance to show up a little bit.”