49ers Training Camp: Deebo Samuel provides brief scare during elongated practice
The 49ers took things up a notch on Friday, going through their longest practice of training camp. Per ESPN's Nick Wagoner, the 49ers went through 13 periods of practice on what is known as a "high" day. It was also the first practice of camp where there has been a scare involving one of San […]
The 49ers took things up a notch on Friday, going through their longest practice of training camp.
Per ESPN's Nick Wagoner, the 49ers went through 13 periods of practice on what is known as a "high" day.
It was also the first practice of camp where there has been a scare involving one of San Francisco's blue-chip players, albeit a brief one.
That came when Deebo Samuel stayed down after reeling in a spectacular touchdown grab from Brock Purdy.
Samuel thankfully returned to his feet and, eventually, to team drills, with that heart in the mouth moment coming at the end of a day that may have the 49ers feeling even more positive about their loaded offense.
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Continued quarterback progress
As repetitive as it may be, it's impossible to go a day of camp without talking about the quarterbacks given the spotlight on Purdy's recovery and a high-profile QB2 battle between Trey Lance and Sam Darnold.
The 49ers should be increasingly happy with how that trio have performed under the microscope, especially Purdy, whom Kyle Shanahan described as "the real deal" after Thursday's practice.
There continue to be mistakes. Purdy was intercepted by Tashaun Gipson on Friday after a late throw under pressure and should have been picked by Talanoa Hufanga on an underthrown deep ball to Deebo Samuel.
But Purdy is ahead of schedule in terms of ramping up his practice time, throwing on what was previously thought to be a day off on Thursday, and his errors are sandwiched by some increasingly impressive big-time throws.
In their eighth practice, the standout completion was a back-shoulder throw to Samuel, who elevated to make an acrobatic catch and came up holding his hip. Samuel did not appear to do any significant damage, though, and was soon back in team drills.
Purdy also showed his accuracy in connecting on a 35-yard throw to George Kittle, beating the coverage linebacker Dre Greenlaw. He finished 15 of 21 on his 32 snaps with the first-team offense, per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.
Lance, meanwhile, was eight of 11. His practice was highlighted by downfield completions to Ronnie Bell and Danny Gray, two receivers at the bottom of the depth chart hoping to make an impression.
He and Darnold each took 22 snaps in the team period, the latter going 12 for 14 and continuing to thrive in the short game.
The importance of training camp numbers can be overblown, but The Athletic's David Lombardi noted that the 49ers' quarterbacks have completed 72.4 percent of pass over the last five practices having connected on 47.6 percent across their first three.
That is clear and marked improvement against an elite defense, and it is progress that should give a team far too used to quarterback injuries greatly increased confidence in the group they have.
A TE2 emerges
Unsurprisingly, the 49ers' primary playmakers have had little issue making their presence felt. For those keeping score, the seemingly unstoppable Brandon Aiyuk was credited with five receptions by Maiocco.
But in terms of players competing for backup roles, there had until recently been little noise made by the players competing for the second tight end spot behind Kittle.
The Niners, seeking a versatile player to take some of the burden off Kittle, picked two tight ends in the draft in Cameron Latu and Brayden Willis.
It is the latter who appears to be staking a claim to be Kittle's immediate deputy, the seventh-rounder beginning to stack strong practices together with an impressive outing on Friday.
Willis was noted as making a nice adjustment for a catch against fellow rookie Ji'Ayir Brown in one on ones and was on the end of a Lance pass in team drills after generating impressive separation on a crosser.
Route-running was a strong suit for Willis in college at Oklahoma, and he also brings upside in what he can do after the catch. A strong blocker in space, Willis has experience playing both H-back and fullback as well as in-line and split out in the formation.
His versatility would be extremely useful in two-tight end sets and, though the 49ers spent a much higher pick on third-rounder Latu, there will be no complaints if it is Willis who steps up and wins the job.
Taco turning heads
An offensive line that got back veteran Jon Feliciano from injury and welcomed back All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams after a vet day enjoyed a competitive battle with the defensive line on Friday.
Williams, Spencer Burford, Nick Zakelijk and Jake Brendel were all credited with wins against the starting defensive linemen in one-on-one drills by Maiocco. Starting center Brendel was said to be particularly impressive against Javon Kinlaw and Arik Armstead.
The defensive line also had its fair share of joy. Veteran Kerry Hyder Jr. was reported as recording three sacks and a pressure, while there was a sack from Clelin Ferrell and another splash play from Kinlaw.
Kinlaw was involved in one of more absorbing one-on-one battles, initially getting impressive push against Burford, only for the 49ers' starting right guard to turn the tide and pancake him.
That loss won't dampen what has been an excellent camp for Kinlaw, the recipient of continual and effusive praise from his coaching staff.
But the plaudits have also begun rolling in for a new addition who only joined the team on Tuesday.
Taco Charlton stood out once again in his third practice as a 49er, excelling in one on ones and being credited with a tackle for loss and a pressure by Maiocco in the team period.
Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks said of the former 2017 first-round pick:
“Taco came off the plane and he just like made play after play after play the other day. And I was very impressed with that because, number one, we needed the reps, but he got in and made it seem like he had been here for a week. So, he’s still learning the defense, it still is going to take him some time, but when he’s in there he goes full speed, which I love. And most important, he’s just continued trying to work on just the fundamentals that we talk about at that position.”
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Competition for places on the depth chart on a remarkably deep defensive line is fierce, but Charlton has improved his odds in just a matter of days.
Joining the defensive line mix is former Ravens fifth-round pick Daelin Hayes, who was signed on Friday. In a corresponding move, the 49ers placed Darryl Johnson on injured reserve.
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Featured Image Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
