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Athletic quarterbacks have been a challenge for the San Francisco 49ers defense in recent years, and the NFC West has two of the best in Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray. They are quarterbacks who can not only hurt you with their arms but improvise with their legs.
The 49ers defense will face another similar challenge on Sunday in Philadelphia Eagles second-year quarterback Jalen Hurts. This year, however, DeMeco Ryans' unit should be more prepared. Not necessarily because of anything the first-year defensive coordinator has implemented this offseason but because of the team's first-round draft pick, Trey Lance, who the defense regularly faces in practices.
"It definitely helps them be more prepared," head coach Kyle Shanahan explained to NBC Sports Bay Area this past week. "I mean, you've got to do stuff like this every time you play a quarterback with his skill set, that Jalen has. But usually, when we do it, I don't have that type of quarterback.
"So the past couple of years, you have Nick Mullens and C.J. [Beathard] running the scout team, and whenever we want to do that type of play, someone like Richie James would come in and do it for us, which he'd always give a good look, but the defense knows what's happening when the throwers are taken out. Yeah, you give them the look, and you run the plays, but they're ready for it."
The 49ers are preparing for the unpredictable play of Hurts and the new Eagles coaching staff. The quarterback can improvise with his legs, but he also threw three touchdown passes during Philadelphia's 32-6 victory over the Atlanta Falcons last weekend.
"When you have a guy like Jalen Hurts in there, yeah, he might do those [RPO-style plays], but he also might play quarterback. And so that's good that our scout-team quarterback is wired the same way, so they've got to play it on us, which I believe makes them, the individuals and the whole defense, a lot more prepared for Sunday."
Brock Purdy hopes Kyle Shanahan makes addition to 49ers playbook
By David Bonilla
Apr 16
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw for a franchise-record 4,280 yards last season, leading the team to the Super Bowl and earning his first Pro Bowl selection. He held onto the football 39 times on the ground, rushing for 144 yards and scoring twice. This marked a significant improvement over his rookie 2022 campaign when he had 22 carries for 13 yards and a score.
Purdy further displayed his athleticism during the 49ers' playoff game against the Detroit Lions last season, helping engineer a comeback victory while rushing for 48 yards on five carries.
On Tuesday morning, Purdy joined the "Pat McAfee Show," acknowledging that he believes he can contribute more rushing yards if called upon. However, that decision rests with head coach Kyle Shanahan,
7-round mock draft from The Athletic sees 49ers fortifying defense early
By David Bonilla
Apr 17
Analyst Dane Brugler recently revealed his seven-round mock draft for The Athletic, forecasting all 257 selections in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft, set to kick off next week.
"Piecing together a mock like this is time consuming, but I enjoy the exercise, because it allows me to focus on each team's needs, organizational trends and prospect-team pairings that make sense based on '30' visits, league buzz and overall interest," Brugler wrote.
Most expect the 49ers to address the trenches early in the draft, and Brugler has the team doing that. It's just not on the offensive side of the football. In fact, Brugler doesn't have San Francisco
49ers sign WR Trent Taylor, reuniting with former draft pick
By David Bonilla
Apr 16
The San Francisco 49ers announced the signing of wide receiver Trent Taylor to a one-year deal, reuniting with the team's former fifth-round draft pick out of Louisiana Tech.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area was the first to report that the 49ers were discussing a potential reunion with Taylor. The receiver was part of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's first draft class in 2017 and spent his first four NFL seasons with the team.
The #49ers are talking with free-agent slot receiver/return man
Draft Watch: Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley visiting 49ers on Wednesday
By David Bonilla
Apr 16
The San Francisco 49ers are hosting several draft prospects this week as the deadline for pre-draft visits draws near. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the team will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on Wednesday.
Corley is expected to be a Day 2 pick. San Francisco owns two selections on Day 2—the No. 63 overall pick in the second round and the No. 94 overall pick in the third round. Currently, the receiver is visiting with the Seattle Seahawks.
Western Kentucky @WKUFootball receiver Malachi Worley
