If there hasn't been much discussion about a camp battle at the wide receiver position, there may be some soon.
Third-year receiver Jauan Jennings finished last season strong and made a solid case for the third spot on the depth chart at the position. Still, free agent signing Ray-Ray McCloud and rookie Danny Gray made a solid case in the 49er's' 28-21 preseason victory over the Green Bay Packers on Friday evening.
McCloud had four receptions for 63 yards and showed something for the highlights when he "shook" Packers cornerback Rico Gafford for a 39-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld.
"I just caught his blind spot and took it back to the middle of the field," McCloud said.
Gray, who had two receptions for 99 yards, one of which was a 76-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Trey Lance, said he felt Lance was going to throw him the ball when he saw the Packers line up on defense.
"It was just beating my defender," Gray said. "When I saw the safety roll down on top of me, oh yeah, I knew what it was."
The 49ers drafted Gray from SMU in the third round of the NFL draft. He ran a 4.33 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine.
"Throw it to the fast guy," Lance said when asked what was going through his mind on the play. "Danny did a great job. He's done a great job all camp. Just him being healthy, obviously, he's a difference maker for us on offense. His speed is something I've had maybe one other time in my life."
That other time was college teammate Christian Watson, who was standing on the opposing sideline on Friday night.
The Buffalo Bills drafted Ray-Ray McCloud in the 2018 NFL draft. He played for the Carolina Panthers during the 2019 season, and spent the last two seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Though he was mainly used as a return man in his four seasons, McCloud, who has 64 receptions and 390 receiving yards, said the energy from Levi's Stadium was surreal.
"You've got to really be here to understand it, and that's just a preseason game," McCloud said. "I can't imagine when there's playoffs on the line, the season, and NFC Championships."
Jennings only played 10 snaps in the victory, but Gray and McCloud still have a long road ahead to supplant the third-year receiver who finished last season with 24 receptions, 282 yards, and five touchdowns.
The 49ers' depth at wide receiver is strong, with Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk at the top. Seeing who emerges in San Francisco's next preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings will give everyone something to talk about.