The San Francisco 49ers scaled back during Day 10 of Training Camp on Sunday, as they didn't run any 2-minute drill sessions, nor did they have a number of their star players, although there were several move-the-ball periods.
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Offense
Quarterbacks
Trey Lance completed 4/12 passes today—which included a drop by Ray-Ray McCloud, after an 11/19 performance and a scoring drive on a 2-minute drill during Saturday's practice.
Lance started the day strong, completing his first three passes, including a deep 25-yard crosser to Deebo Samuel, as well as a 25-yard connection to Brandon Aiyuk over linebacker Oren Burks. The throw had nice touch in traffic.
Lance also hit a couple of check-downs, hitting Troy Fumagalli on a 5-yard rollout after working through all of his progressions, and also hitting Tyler Kroft on a four-yard check-down on the first play of the move-the-ball period.
However, the inconsistencies continued for Lance, who overthrew another deep pass on a 30-yard play intended for Troy Fumagalli that went five yards over his head.
Additionally, Lance had several plays where receivers failed to get open downfield, forcing him to pump fake and essentially take a coverage sack on certain plays, as he seemed less comfortable without the presence of George Kittle, Trent Williams, and Mike McGlinchey on Sunday.
Lance's interception was an ugly throw straight to linebacker Fred Warner. It looked like Lance was attempting to lead backup tight end Tyler Kroft towards the sideline from the middle of the field, but Kroft had seen Warner and planted in open space, while Lance threw to a spot that was already occupied by Warner
Lance almost threw another interception to Charvarius Ward on a 3rd & 3 pass intended for Brandon Aiyuk. Lance faced immediate pressure from Javon Kinlaw, who bull-rushed Daniel Brunskill, and Tyler Kroft, appearing to set an unintended pick for Brandon Aiyuk while running a flat, actually ran into the receiver, while his defender, Charvarius Ward, continued forward defending the slant route.
Overall, Lance had a down day as he continues to work through some accuracy and timing issues, but there were several great coverage plays, as well as a number of pass-breakups that resulted in his poor completion percentage on Sunday.
Backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld completed 5/8 with an interception, connecting with Ray-Ray McCloud on a 45-yard play for the longest play of the day on a nice combination of a throw and catch, but also throwing an interception on a misplaced ball to undrafted linebacker Marcelino McCrary-Ball.
Sudfeld had another good deep throw, hitting tight end Tanner Hudson for a 30-yard catch in zone coverage, and showing some extra comfortability throwing the ball deep, which is a good sign because this environment is where those opportunities are best tested.
Brock Purdy didn't see much action with the shorter day, as he threw only four passes, completing two, with one interception. Purdy's interception came off a dropped pass from Tyrion Davis-Price, which tipped right into the hands of linebacker Jeremiah Gemmel.
Running Backs
The running game had a much slower day compared to the past two days, as the outside-zone run struggled to materialize with the 49ers missing their top two tackles on the day.
As a result, there were a number of shorter runs within the range of three yards. However, there were still some important observations.
Tyrion Davis-Price continued to showcase his explosiveness, as he got to the edge on a number of plays. Davis-Price still has some hesitancy and needs to cut inside when looking towards the edge on certain plays, but the traits are certainly something to watch for as he continues to get second-team reps.
Davis-Price, however, dropped a wide-open check-down pass which resulted in an interception to Jeremiah Gemmel. While he was a good pass-protector in college, his inconsistencies in the receiving game raise concerns about his potential role on third downs.
Currently, there hasn't been a player to truly emerge as a top receiving weapon in the backfield, as all three of the top options have faced their own drop issues. Veteran Jeff Wilson Jr. and undrafted rookie Jordan Mason seem like the best third-down options currently, although Elijah Mitchell could end up winning that role.
Mitchell had a good pass-protection rep on Sunday, picking up a blitz, an aspect of his game that didn't get much attention during his rookie season, and given his speed, he could be a reliable option if utilized in this role.
Trey Sermon had a powerful five-yard run on a rep, showcasing his potential for the second time this camp. If Sermon is able to show consistent ball security and one-cut running with power in his arsenal, he could be a very efficient complement to Elijah Mitchell, especially if his vision continues to develop.
Jeff Wilson Jr. had the best run of the day, getting ten yards on the play before getting stopped, but continued rushing downfield, juking safety Tayler Hawkins on a nice cut down the field.
Wide Receivers
There weren't any 1-on-1s with the wide receivers today, so several players had limited—if any, action today.
Brandon Aiyuk and Trey Lance had a down day on Sunday, with the duo connecting just once on four targets, although it was a nice 25-yard play over the middle.
Aiyuk lost on two contested catch opportunities, as he first couldn't corral a pass near the right sideline with Ka'Darr Hollman breaking up the play, and then taking a hit from Jimmie Ward on a 25-yard play which knocked the ball out of Aiyuk's hands.
Deebo Samuel connected with Trey Lance on another play over the middle, as the receiver ran a deep route in zone coverage before breaking towards the middle, hauling in a 25-yard catch.
While Samuel has initially struggled to win over the top and separate as he returns into football action, head coach Kyle Shanahan has placed his star receiver in the situation he's most comfortable in—open space. This has allowed Samuel to play more freely and get more opportunities from Trey Lance over the past few days.
Samuel also ran a reverse end-around, which was his first carry of training camp. However, the 49ers' defense remained disciplined on the play, and the lack of downfield blocking stopped Samuel at the line of scrimmage.
Ray-Ray McCloud continued his impressive training camp with a 40-yard catch from Nate Sudfeld, making an over-the-shoulder catch with Ka'Darr Hollman right on his tail. While McCloud had a drop earlier on a throw from Trey Lance that fell out of his outstretched hands, he bounced back with another deep catch, proving why he's been the second-most consistent receiver in camp to date.
McCloud still hasn't seen much time with the first-team offense, as the 49ers continue to trust Jauan Jennings out of the slot after his breakout performances down the stretch last season.
Jennings had another quiet day on Sunday, as his lone target was an incompletion where he failed to separate from slot cornerback Samuel Womack, while quarterback Trey Lance threw the pass too wide.
Veteran wideout Malik Turner was the only other receiver in action on Sunday, corralling a 7-yard catch on a slant from Nate Sudfeld.
Overall, the receivers struggled to get open at times, prompting several coverage sacks, although the 49ers did rotate in backups with the first-team offense at times, while doing the same with the second-team offense.
Tight Ends
With tight end George Kittle earning another rest day on Sunday, the 49ers switched things up, playing Tyler Kroft with the first-team offense rather than Tanner Hudson, who saw first-team reps during Kittle's last rest day.
Kroft appeared a little overwhelmed on the day, catching a four-yard check-down for his lone catch, but appearing to run into Brandon Aiyuk on a third-down play during the move-the-ball period, while also being the intended target during Lance's interception to Fred Warner on the day.
Additionally, tight end Troy Fumagalli got some first-team reps, catching a 5-yard pass from Lance while the quarterback was rolling out, initially bobbling the pass, but securing it for a completion. He has now had multiple days with at least one reception and based on the depth chart, Fumagalli could be a dark-horse candidate to make the roster.
Tanner Hudson was the other tight end in action on Sunday, and he caught a 30-yard pass from Nate Sudfeld, weaving behind the zone defense to find a soft spot for the catch.
Offensive Line
The 49ers didn't have their starting offensive linemen on the field on Sunday, with right tackle Mike McGlinchey's spot occupied by Colton McKivitz, while left tackle Trent Williams's spot was occupied by Justin Skule.
Daniel Brunskill was the starting center for the 49ers on Sunday after Jake Brendel started at the position on Saturday, continuing the 49ers' game of musical chairs with the ongoing battle between the two.
Brunskill didn't have the best day, as he was bull-rushed by Javon Kinlaw on a third down during the move-the-ball period, resulting in a pressure of Trey Lance, while also having another low snap while with the second-team offense.
Jake Brendel had a splash play on the day, as he, along with Aaron Banks, had a pancake block during a Tyrion Davis-Price three-yard rush to the edge.
Aaron Banks had an extended battle with defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw on Sunday, with the latter pushing the former back on several occasions, but the former being able to hold up overall in protection.
The offensive line struggled to consistently create holes for the running backs, especially on the outside, which stalled the offense, especially during the move-the-ball period, where none of the 49ers' offensive teams were able to successfully move the ball past one first down.
Additionally, the pressure got there on several occasions, forcing quicker decisions from Trey Lance or plays resulting in sacks.
While the line didn't look impressive on Sunday, they were without their two best players, who should return to the fold on Tuesday following the 49ers' off day on Monday.
Stay tuned for Tuesday's coverage!