Mike Evans returns to 49ers practice as left guard competition heats up

SANTA CLARA — Veteran wide receiver Mike Evans on Saturday did not waste any time getting back into the flow of things.Evans returned to practice for his first 11-on-11 work since Aug. 1, when he sustained a quadriceps strain. Evans caught a 20-yard pass from quarterback Brock Purdy on the first-team offense’s second snap of practice. The 49ers held their first practice since their NFL preseason opener on Thursday night against the Tennessee Titans. Evans caught two passes on the day. His first came against the coverage of cornerback Deommodore Lenoir and Marques Sigle. He later caught an aerial from Adrian Martinez. Later in practice, cornerback Darrell Luter Jr. made a nice play to break up a Mac Jones pass intended for Evans.Competition of the dayRookie Carver Willis has officially entered the competition for the team’s starting left guard spot. Willis, a fourth-round draft pick from Washington, shared first-team snaps on Saturday with Connor Colby. Veteran Robert Jones started the 49ers’ exhibition opener against the Tennessee Titans at left guard. Willis graded out tops among the 49ers’ offensive linemen against Tennessee, according to PFF, while Jones had the lowest grade from that unit.Offensive play of the dayWide receiver Trenton Irwin, a five-year NFL veteran from Stanford, made a picturesque sprawling catch a 37-yard pass down the field on a Purdy throw. Irwin’s remarkable play came against the coverage of Lenoir and safety Ji’Ayir Brown. Irwin played six seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, during which time he appeared in 41 games with nine starts. He has 46 career catches for 601 yards and five touchdowns.Defensive play of the dayRookie safety Jalen Stroman accounted for the only interception in practice. He stepped in front of veteran wide receiver Demarcus Robinson to snare Mac Jones’ pass over the middle. Stroman, who signed with the 49ers as an undrafted free agent from Notre Dame, played 35 snaps of defense on Thursday and had two tackles against the Titans.This ’n’ that—Quarterback Kurtis Rourke did not practice. He was the only player whom the 49ers listed on their injury report Thursday night to not suit up for practice. Rourke went to the hospital during Thursday’s game for additional tests on a ribs injury. He was discharged from the hospital later that evening. Rourke watched practice from the field. —Running back Christian McCaffrey, linebacker Dre Greenlaw and defensive end Nick Bosa did not practice due to varying degrees of tightness and soreness. —Running backs Kaelon Black (adductor) and Jordan James (ribs) were seen going through physical condition on the field. —Luter had two pass breakups on the day. After forcing an incompletion in coverage against Evans, he defended a Jones throw intended for Robinson. —Wide receiver Jacob Cowing, out since Aug. 5 with a hip flexor injury, returned to practice. He took a handoff on a running play, then dropped a pass from Jones. Later, he made a very nice grab of a Jones pass along the right sideline. —The 49ers’ defense came up with several would-be sacks, including on pass-rushes from Osa Odighizuwa, Romello Height, Nick Martin, Titus Leo and James Thompson Jr. —Lenoir had good coverage on back-to-back plays. He broke up a pass for Robinson, then gave up a completion as rookie Will Pauling made a nice leaping catch. Lenoir had another breakup of a Purdy pass for Jake Tonges along the sideline. —Tight end Hayden Rucci collected a nice reception against the coverage of Stroman. —Tight end Luke Farrell had a 25-yard reception over the middle from Purdy. He also caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Purdy. —The practice concluded with Jones and Malik Turner hooking up for a 25-yard touchdown in a matchup of the No. 2 offense vs. the No. 2 defense. Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast

Mike Evans returns to 49ers practice as left guard competition heats up

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