I was on hand for the 49ers‘ second practice and was able to jot down plenty of notes, from who was returning kicks to who stood out at the defensive line. I’ll be back during Friday’s practice with more organized notes, so be sure to look out for those later today.
QUARTERBACKS
– Jimmy Garoppolo looked like the quarterback he has always been since he has been in a 49ers uniform. He looked strong throwing passes between the hashes in the short to intermediate while struggling to make consistently accurate throws outside the numbers.
Trey Lance threw the ball with impressive velocity, but he was late getting the ball out on multiple occasions. Nothing is a major concern as the timing between Lance, and his receivers will improve as camp goes on, and they get more time to build rapport with one another.
WIDE RECEIVERS
– Brandon Aiyuk looked like a bonafide number one receiving option. However, he had a couple of very impressive catches along the sideline.
– Deebo Samuel dominated the middle of the field, snagging a few balls between the numbers while displaying tremendous burst after the catch.
– Jalen Hurd participated in individual drills but was not a part of the 11 on 11 or 7 on 7 portions of practice
– Trent Sherfield made the most impressive catch of the day, in my opinion, a leaping one-handed catch on the move during individual drills. Sheffield looks like a player who will challenge for a roster spot, displaying tremendous value as a receiver to pair with his ability as a returner.
RUNNING BACKS
– Trey Sermon took the majority of first-team reps. Sermon showed off his tremendous balance as a runner, maintaining a low center of gravity through contact.
– Elijah Mitchell looked like the most explosive running back on the field to me today. Mitchell also flashed as a receiver out of the backfield
DEFENSIVE LINE
– The first team reps during position group drills consisted of Bosa/Kinlaw/Jones/Armstead
– Kinlaw and Bosa participated in individual drills amongst the defensive lineman but were held out of 11 on 11s and 7 on 7s
– Zach Kerr and Kevin Givens were the interior defensive line for the second team
Linebackers
– Fred Warner was all over the field, making plays that remind you why he was just given a lucrative extension
– Marcell Harris was working with the linebackers and not the safeties during individual position drills. This could mean the 49ers have a plan in place to use Harris in a role more tailored to his skill set, playing within the box
CORNERBACKS
– Jason Verrett led the first team and looked fluid with a few pass breakups during individual drills
– With Emmanuel Moseley on the covid list, Tim Harris and Ken Webster have been getting more reps with the first and second-team units
– Dontae Johnson had a couple of impressive reps, including a pass break up during drills
SAFETIES
– Talanoa Hufanga was the first player on the field before practice and the last player off of it after. He was left in single-high looks during 11 on 11s, and he looked solid in coverage
– Jimmie Ward looked like his usual self during drills
– Jared Mayden had an impressive pass break up during 11 on 11s
SPECIAL TEAMS
– Multiple players had reps as a kick/punt returner, including Deebo Samuel, Elijah Michell, Kevin White, and Ambry Thomas
– Of these players, Mitchell looked like he possesses the highest upside as a returner