The San Francisco 49ers had their second padded practice on Tuesday, and with it came their second 1-on-1 session between receivers and defensive backs, as well as the first battle between offensive and defensive linemen. Additionally, there were three 11-on-11 scrimmages, which was one more session than the other practices so far.
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The 49ers' offensive starters saw a significant change on Tuesday, as center Daniel Brunskill started for the first time in training camp and spent a majority of the day with the first-team offense over incumbent Jake Brendel.
Offense
Quarterbacks
Trey Lance completed 10/16 passes today, which included two batted passes at the line of scrimmage and a throwaway. Lance and the offensive line appear to be getting on the same page, at least through the first half of scrimmage, as the quarterback seemed the most comfortable he's been inside the pocket, understanding the tendencies of those in front of him, especially with Brunskill at center.
After several days of offensive install where Lance punished the defense deep, there were a number of short throws, which Lance was largely accurate on, showcasing growth in taking what's given to him rather than forcing it.
There were still a few plays where Lance held the ball too long, whether against regular pressure or a blitz, leading to a coverage sack, but as he continues to develop rapport with his receivers and offensive line, we'll see how that impacts his game.
Overall, Lance had one of his best days in practice, and still found some deeper passes, hitting George Kittle for 20 yards, Brandon Aiyuk for 25 yards, and Deebo Samuel for 20 yards on separate plays.
Nate Sudfeld looked a little better on Tuesday with his deep accuracy, hitting Malik Turner twice on deep passes in stride, although he continues to overthrow passes when attempting to challenge the defense downfield.
Both Sudfeld and Purdy didn't look to make difficult throws on Tuesday, completing a variety of checkdowns and shorter routes, en route to an 11/17 day for Sudfeld and a 4/6 day for Purdy. Sudfeld had a throwaway and a batted pass as well.
A surprise on Tuesday: quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was present prior to practice, first doing some conditioning, before moving on to his throwing programs as players trickled on the field.
Running Backs
Elijah Mitchell has been the top running back on the depth chart throughout training camp, but he didn't see much action on Tuesday, as the backups got a majority of the carries.
Trey Sermon had his best practice yet, showcasing his explosiveness, one-cut ability, and smooth and decisive running, which is a change after being criticized for "dancing" too much last season. He had seven carries and two targets on Tuesday, and provided hope at the running back position behind incumbent starter Elijah Mitchell, breaking for a couple of longer runs, including a nice cutback to the right side after evading upfield defenders for a 10-yard gain.
Tyrion Davis-Price had an up-and-down day, fumbling a pitch from Brock Purdy on a play that was blocked well, before running into his own blocker downfield. Still, he finished the day strong, compiling a number of nice five-to-six-yard gains, as well as a 15-yard gain on a screen pass where he weaved through the defense, utilizing his acceleration.
Jordan Mason continues to outplay Jeff Wilson Jr., who didn't appear to play during the scrimmage time, and JaMycal Hasty, although the latter had a nice day as well. Mason got three carries and a catch on the day, and continues to impose his physicality on the defense with powerful runs, while displaying his skills as a receiver as well. He did have one bad rep on the day, failing to see a cutback lane from the left to the right side as the defense closed towards the left, realizing his mistake too late, but overall, another good day for the undrafted free agent.
JaMycal Hasty was active in the passing game during Tuesday's practice, catching two passes, while also having a nice rush. Hasty, though, is the epitome of inconsistency in the passing game, as he had a pass bounce off his chest while guarded by Fred Warner.
I can understand why the coaching staff likes him, and currently, based on rotations and play, he appears to be battling for that fourth running-back spot with Mason.
Wide Receivers
Trey Lance and Brandon Aiyuk continued building their connection as the duo connected for four catches on five targets, including a 25-yard play early in the scrimmage session and remained the best offensive skill player on the field. He also beat safety Jimmie Ward during the 1-on-1 session.
Aiyuk and linebacker Fred Warner also got into a scuffle twice at practice, with the second occuring after Warner knocked down receiver Marcus Johnson after a catch. Aiyuk appeared to stand up for his fellow receiver, squaring up with Warner, leading into another melee.
While fights are obviously questionable, it was a good sign of leadership in Aiyuk, who's not necessarily a vocal player, who said after practice that he wanted to give the offense a spark.
"A little friendly training camp [scuffle]. It's hot today, so tempers flaring today. But it's football. Football season's here. ... The defense came out here with a great intensity the last couple of days, so we've got to wake the offense up one way or another."
Deebo Samuel got his first camp action with Trey Lance, as the two connected on a 15-yard screen play. Samuel's speed and explosiveness were on display, looking like he picked up right where he left off last season. The two also connected on a 20-yard throw, which had just the right amount of velocity and touch from Lance. Additionally, Samuel made a nice catch in traffic on a Nate Sudfeld throw that was a bit behind him.
Malik Turner had the highlight of the day, beating rookie cornerback Samuel Womack off the line before hauling in a one-handed catch during the 1-on-1 period of Tuesday's practice.
Turner has received extended run with the rest of the 49ers' backups at times, appearing to make a case for that sixth receiver roster spot, although he hasn't seen much action on the field.
Tight Ends
George Kittle caught one pass on Tuesday, a 20-yard completion with Talanoa Hufanga in coverage, building upon his nice start to camp.
There has yet to be another tight end that has separated themselves from the bunch apart from Jordan Matthews, who was injured at Monday's practice on an awkward landing and was not present on Tuesday.
Tanner Hudson had a nice 1-on-1 rep against safety Talanoa Hufanga, beating him with a nice route and catch, which was the theme on Tuesday for the position group, as several tight ends won their 1-on-1s against their respective defenders.
Ross Dwelley beat George Odum twice, Troy Fumagalli beat Tayler Hawkins, and Tyler Kroft beat Leon O'Neal on Tuesday.
Offensive Line
The offensive line had their strongest performance of training camp on Tuesday, which was somewhat of a surprise, given that right tackle Mike McGlinchey was not present due to a rest day.
After stressing the issue about the lack of cohesion amongst the unit on Monday, I saw improvement with Daniel Brunskill taking over at center as the starter.
The interior offensive line had a much better day blocking in the run game, as there were several gains of 5+ yards towards the inside, which seemed to be a focus for the 49ers on Tuesday.
Additionally, pass protection was stronger than before, and while their performance waned towards the second half of practice, a number of sacks given up by the first-team offensive line were coverage sacks.
Alfredo Gutierrez, the tackle from Mexico who came to the 49ers last season as part of the NFL's International Player Pathway Program, continues to struggle, as he was beaten by Drake Jackson to the tune of four pressures and two sacks on Tuesday. Apart from one nice 1-on-1 rep, Gutierrez looked like the worst offensive lineman on the field.
Right guard Spencer Burford did commit a pair of false starts, which may just be a timing issue, as well as a holding penalty on Kevin Givens, so I'll continue to keep an eye out over the next string of practices.
Center Daniel Brunskill did a good job identifying the blitzer not once, but twice on Tuesday, looking like a leader for the offensive line, while guard Aaron Banks had a pair of nice reps against Javon Kinlaw.
Stay tuned for Wednesday's coverage!