49ers Training Camp: Brock Purdy sharp but defensive line dominates on Day 6
It's rapidly become clear Brock Purdy would have to endure a nightmare training camp for there to be any prospect of him not being the starting quarterback in 2023. There have been no performances of such a low standard since he returned to practice last Thursday, though his displays across his first three sessions could […]
It's rapidly become clear Brock Purdy would have to endure a nightmare training camp for there to be any prospect of him not being the starting quarterback in 2023.
There have been no performances of such a low standard since he returned to practice last Thursday, though his displays across his first three sessions could best be categorized as spotty.
Tuesday's practice, however, marked Purdy's best of training camp.
That his efforts in this second padded practice of camp came on a day that again saw the defensive line dominate arguably make his upturn in form more impressive.
49ers Training Camp: Key Day 6 Takeaways
Purdy’s best practice
Purdy was the worst quarterback of the top three on the depth chart in Monday’s practice.
On Tuesday, the script was flipped, with the 49ers starter the most consistent of all San Francisco’s signal-callers while taking all of the first-team reps.
He finished the team period eight of 10 passing, with David Lombardi of The Athletic praising his performance attacking the intermediate area of the field. By all accounts the standout throw from Purdy came when he dropped the ball into Jauan Jennings in the back corner of the endzone while under pressure from Alex Barrett.
Purdy, though, did still have his miscues, hitting Deommodore Lenoir in the chest on a deep out to George Kittle. He also presented opportunities for Drake Jackson and linebacker Marcelino McCrary-Ball that were dropped.
There is no doubt about Purdy’s place on the depth chart or the roster, but there has been some speculation about how long Trey Lance may remain on the team.
Lance was not as sharp as in Monday’s excellent practice, but he again outperformed Sam Darnold, completing four of his six passes in the team period.
His best completion, per Nick Wagoner of ESPN, saw him demonstrate a well-established rapport with Brandon Aiyuk. Lance hit Aiyuk on a well-timed comeback and, though he is reported to still be struggling with his short game, his issues in that area were not as glaring as those of Darnold on Tuesday.
To this point, Darnold had excelled at hitting receivers on the crossers that are a staple of the Shanahan offense. However, though he hit Deebo Samuel over the middle, Darnold was said to have attempted a couple of dangerous short throws during the red zone period.
Brandon Allen, seemingly a contender to make the 53-man roster, was five of five. The talk has surrounded him potentially taking Lance’s spot, but recent displays in practice would suggest it is perhaps more likely he leapfrogs Darnold for the QB3 role.
D-Line dominance
A theme of the practice was each of the 49ers’ quarterbacks having to deal with pressure in their face.
Nick Bosa is still not at practice as his contract holdout goes on, but his absence, along with those of fellow edge rushers Austin Bryant and Robert Beal Jr, did not prevent the defensive side of the trenches from cranking up the heat.
Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, described as “unblockable” on Monday, had a sack in the team period having stood out in one-on-one drills. Former first-round pick Javon Kinlaw, who has drawn widespread praise for his efforts in camp so far, also had a would-be sack with an arm-over move.
With Wagoner singling out Arik Armstead for praise, the interior of the San Francisco defensive line appears in much better shape than it was during the 2022 season.
And the defensive front as a whole may have got even stronger if Taco Charlton’s first 49ers practice is anything to go by.
Charlton had two wins in one-on-one drills against the offensive line and had a sack in team drills. Though that sack came against the third-string O-Line, Charlton’s ability to hit the ground running this quickly is very encouraging.
Combine the success of several defensive linemen with coordinator Steve Wilks sending All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga on blitzes, and it’s no wonder the 49ers' quarterbacks had a collection of plays where they were anything but comfortable.
A potential O-Line blow
For much of the team period, the offensive line was said to have held up reasonably well against a deep and dynamic defensive line.
Their success appeared to recede in a hurry, though, and the level of fire the quarterbacks came under does not reflect well on 49ers’ depth on the O-Line.
That depth may have taken a hit on Tuesday, as Jaylon Moore, the 2021 fifth-round pick who was seen as the leader in the clubhouse for the backup swing tackle role, was carted off with an apparent left leg injury.
Leroy Watson, a rookie converting from tight end who has caught the eye early in camp, stepped in for Moore as the second-team left tackle.
There is no indication as yet as to the severity of Moore’s injury, but if it is long-term in nature it may prompt the 49ers to dip into the open market again to fortify their depth on the O-Line.
The 49ers have a day off on Wednesday and, if they stick to their plan with Purdy, he will have another day of rest when the rest of the roster returns to practice on Thursday.
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Featured Image Credit: Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports
