Day 2 of the San Francisco 49ers training camp is officially over, as head coach Kyle Shanahan conducted a more intense, scrimmage-filled practice after a lighter Day 1 on Wednesday.
Both the offense and the defense had their moments on Day 2, although the quarterbacks struggled, which allowed the defense to dominate more.
Here were the standout players from Day 2, which I talked about in-depth when recapping the day of practice in our podcast down below.
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RB Elijah Mitchell
Yesterday, fellow running back Tyrion Davis-Price earned a spot on this list following a strong performance on Day 1 of training camp. Today, it's Elijah Mitchell, who looked great on the ground when splitting the top running back reps.
Mitchell was a backup today, given that Christian McCaffrey participated in some 11-on-11s and 7-on-7s, but still saw some top reps when the star running back was resting, making the most of his opportunity.
Mitchell's quick burst, compiled with his combination of speed, power, and elusiveness were all seen on Thursday, generating some big carries, but more importantly, moving really well at the position. He was the best running back on the field Thursday.
Keeping Mitchell fresh will be vital for the 49ers, and he's looking in good shape now. It was nice to see how his strong sense of running activated right after Davis-Price had a strong day, showcasing the depth San Francisco has at the position.
DE Drake Jackson
Drake Jackson was on my "players to watch" list heading into Day 2 of training camp, as he was responsible for the top defensive end role once again without Nick Bosa, and he delivered. Jackson faced the impossible task of going about against top tackle Trent Williams, and actually saw some success, forcing two pressures that led to sacks against Brock Purdy.
Jackson's bend is truly something to watch, as his combination of speed and the bend allowed him to get behind the technical Williams on a few occasions. If he can continue winning his one-on-one reps, not only will he see better chances of getting to the quarterback, but he'll also continue to create for his teammates, which was the case twice on Thursday.
In addition, defensive end Austin Bryant was a standout, as he already began to rotate with Clelin Ferrell for first-team reps after recording a sack on Wednesday. Bryant himself had a solid rep against Trent Williams when lined up at the left defensive end, and could be an intriguing name to watch, given his unique frame and length.
CB Samuel Womack
Samuel Womack is beginning to develop into an NFL cornerback, as he compiled another good day of work on the outside with the second-team defense.
The 49ers have strictly played him on the outside to begin camp, where he's worked along the likes of Ambry Thomas and D'Shawn Jamison, and Womack has delivered, making a couple of nice plays, and not giving up many on his end in coverage.
Womack created a pass-breakup when Sam Darnold was telegraphing a pass intended for Danny Gray, and made another great coverage play on Trey Lance's first throw, draping Jauan Jennings throughout his route while Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles tipped a near interception.
Womack also made a nice run-fitting play, stuffing Jordan Mason behind the line of scrimmage on a pitch to the outside with Curtis Robinson for a tackle for loss.
The 49ers came into training camp with questions surrounding their cornerback depth, and Womack is beginning to ease some of those worries.
DT Javon Kinlaw
Many may have given up hope on Javon Kinlaw, but you have to give credit where credit is due, and the defensive tackle certainly deserves some for being in great shape heading into training camp.
As a result, Kinlaw's get-off has looked quicker, allowing him to be an even bigger disrupter in the middle, while his power seems to have remained, despite trimming down a bit.
Pads coming on will even out the strength discrepancies, but Kinlaw's looking good and his movements seem back to normal after battling injuries once again last season. Let's see if he can continue to be consistent and remain healthy.
K Jake Moody
A kicker on a training camp standouts list might be surprising, but today was the first action that Jake Moody saw with field goals in training camp after Zane Gonzalez took all of the reps yesterday.
He took four field goals, and drilled them all, hitting from 33, 38, 41, and 51 yards out, while Gonzalez made both of his: a 41 and 43-yarder.
Moody's leg was clearly on display, as he hit the 51-yarder with ease, suggesting that he could make field goals potentially even ten yards further. Of course, he was kicking in a practice environment, but it's a solid start to the third-rounder's camp, and he'll be likely visualized under scrutiny until he proves himself to be a top kicker in the league, given his draft status.
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