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Day 8 of the San Francisco 49ers training camp is officially over, as it was the longest practice that the team ran, consisting of 13 periods, rather than the usual 12, with the final session lasting nearly 23 minutes in a heavy scrimmage day.
The offense and defense each had their moments, as the quarterbacks compiled a second consecutive day of good collective performances, while the defensive line rebounded with a number of pressures and at least five sacks.
The defensive line got the better of the offensive line in practice, as has been the case for the majority of training camp, getting to the quarterback on five different occasions, with a few more pressures sprinkled in.
Clear winners of the day were defensive end Taco Charlton, and defensive tackles Arik Armstead and Javon Hargrave.
Charlton recorded two wins in 1-on-1s, beating Leroy Watson and Ilm Manning with a nice spin move, while getting a pressure and a run stop in team drills, displaying his two-dimensional play. Since his arrival, he's arguably been the best defensive end on the team.
Armstead was a consistent force in team drills, recording a near sack on a play, while appearing to finish the job on another, while Hargrave won both of his 1-on-1 reps, while getting a run stuff as well.
Elsewhere, the defensive tackles continue to eat. T.Y. McGill consistently wins 1-on-1 reps and is building off where he ended last season. He might be the best backup defensive tackle, although a few have impressed.
Javon Kinlaw continues to work well against the backups, showcasing promise as a pass-rusher, but does sometimes show inconsistencies with his pad level, leading to some struggles against the top linemen in 1-on-1s.
Alex Barrett continues to be a training camp killer, with the highlight of the day coming in a 1-on-1 rep against Trent Williams, where the defensive end used a long arm and impressively pushed the tackle all the way back into the pocket. Interestingly enough, Barrett talked some trash to Williams for a few seconds after before a coach moved him back to the defensive line group.
Drake Jackson has been up and down, shining in the beginning of training camp, but not flashing as much this week, with others looking better and better.
Jackson's main issues are the same: he struggles with strength and disengaging from blockers on some 1-on-1 reps. His speed and bend will ultimately win him a few reps, but he's not as refined yet with his pass-rushing moves.
Linebackers
The backup linebacker battle is heating up.
At this point, Marcelino McCrary-Ball is closer to earning a starting spot as the third linebacker than being on the roster bubble. He's the real deal and a developmental player to watch for the 49ers in the future.
The real battle is between the rookies Dee Winters and Jalen Graham, who both have presented a compelling argument to make the 53-man roster.
Graham stood out again, working well in 1-on-1s, both in coverage and as a pass-rusher, while making a big hit for a short gain in team drills, getting to the line of scrimmage quickly.
Now comes the question: do the 49ers value future development, or special-teams value in the present? That could ultimately determine who earns the final spot on the 53-man roster.
Defensive backs
Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir both faced their biggest challenge of training camp collectively on Friday, with both players giving up tough catches on great plays by the receivers.
Deebo Samuel got Ward in the endzone on a fade route, mossing him at the catch point for a touchdown on a good delivery from Brock Purdy.
Brandon Aiyuk got the better of Lenoir on a 25-yard catch downfield on a phenomenal catch from the receiver.
Ambry Thomas had his best day yet, breaking up a pass intended for George Kittle in coverage, while having two stops in the run game.
D'Shawn Jamison impressed again, and is receiving rave reviews from coaches. He had a near pick of Sam Darnold, breaking well on the ball, although it was after a sack.
Of the undrafted free agents, him and Khalan Laborn have the best shot to make the roster, it seems.
Of the safeties, Tashaun Gipson recorded his first splash play, intercepting Brock Purdy on a poor decision, which came after a sack.
On the other hand, Ji'Ayir Brown has been a quiet name to begin training camp. It's not a bad thing, as he hasn't been on the end of many poor plays, but he hasn't flashed either, although a preseason setting should be a better evaluator.
Resurgent pass rush, Charvarius Ward lead 49ers defense to dominant showing vs. Seahawks
By Kirk Larrabee
Nov 23
After going through a dry spell in late October, it's safe to say the San Francisco 49ers have righted the ship on defense.
The 49ers went through a brief slump of sorts on defense towards the end of October when they gave up big passing performances to quarterbacks Kirk Cousins (378 yards, two touchdowns) in a Week 7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings and Joe Burrow (283 yards, two touchdowns) in a Week 8 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Then, after a bye week in early November, the defense surged to give up just two touchdowns over a three-game span that has seen the 49ers notch one-sided victories over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks.
The latest win came on Thanksgiving night, when the 49ers held the Seahawks to zero first quarter
It wasn't that long ago that everyone was trying to figure out what was wrong with the San Francisco 49ers' defense. Desperately searching for answers, the team even seemed willing to yield to media pressure, relocating defensive coordinator Steve Wilks from the coaching box to the sidelines during games following its bye week.
After struggling through three consecutive losses, the 49ers have won three straight since the adjustment. The defense is playing lights-out football, conceding only 30 total points over the last three games, a notable improvement from the 72 points allowed during its three-game skid.
As of Sunday morning, San Francisco's defense stands as the league's stingiest, permitting a mere 15.5 points per game. This marks a remarkable turnaround
49ers Notebook: Nine years later, 49ers get Thanksgiving revenge over Seahawks; Shanahan, Purdy discuss key throws vs. Seahawks; What happened to Christian McCaffrey's helmet?
By Kirk Larrabee
Nov 24
It took nine years, but the San Francisco 49ers finally got some payback on Thursday night for the Seattle Seahawks feasting on turkey after a win at Levi's Stadium in 2014.
The Seahawks' 19-3 win over the 49ers on Thanksgiving in 2014 was the last time either team played on Thanksgiving before Thursday night, and after that game then-Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and cornerback Richard Sherman dug into the postgame turkey at the 50-yard line of Levi's Stadium at a time when the rivalry between the two teams was at a peak. The 49ers flipped the script on Thursday, notching a 31-13 win over the Seahawks at Lumen Field in Seattle that was followed by a slew of 49ers getting their fill of Thanksgiving turkey, courtesy of NBC.
"That was a moment I'll remember
No Huddle Podcast: 49ers Thanksgiving Revenge And Philly Week
By Site Staff
Nov 27
(Episode 289) - Brian Renick is joined by Jason Aponte, the host of the Sprint Right Option podcast and also a Niners Nation contributor. The guys react to the Seahawks' win, the biggest takeaways on offense and defense, the NFC playoff picture, and Philly week!
The audio for the show is embedded above. Don't forget to subscribe!
You can listen to the latest "No Huddle Podcast" episode above, from our dedicated podcast page, on
