Below are some notes from Wednesday's practice.
The 49ers defense, which dominated Tuesday's practice, was once again impressive. Although, the offense showed improvement over Tuesday's outing.
Offense
"Jerick McKinnon is a matchup nightmare for linebackers," wrote team reporter Joe Fann via Twitter. "All of them. He beat Reuben Foster on a Texas route today and took off for a long touchdown."
The 49ers' offensive line had a good practice and gave its quarterbacks plenty of time to throw.
Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne continued to be a reliable target for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Bourne was able to haul in two Garoppolo passes when the offense needed first downs.
Defense
The 49ers defense was able to keep the offense out of the end zone during red-zone and hurry-up drills, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.
Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon nearly hauled in a Garoppolo-thrown pass at the end of practice. He has shown flashes of good play during the two minicamp practices.
Linebacker Fred Warner, who officially signed his rookie contract on Wednesday, broke up a C.J. Beathard pass in the end zone which was intended for tight end Cole Hikutini.
"Strong day from the secondary - Tyvis Powell and Ahkello Witherspoon in particular," wrote Chris Biderman of Niners Wire.
Jimmy Garoppolo
Garoppolo was 8-of-19 passing, according to Cam Inman of Bay Area News Group.
Garoppolo had completions to running back Jerick McKinnon and wide receiver Kendrick Bourne for big gains over the middle during 11-on-11 drills, according to Wagoner.
Injury Report
The 49ers came away from Wednesday's practice injury free. Dante Pettis missed Wednesday's session after sustaining a minor injury at the end of Tuesday's practice.
As expected, cornerback Richard Sherman remained limited to individual drills and did not participate in team drills. He is not expected to do so until training camp in late July as the 49ers remain cautious in his recovery from an ACL injury sustained last season.
Noticeably absent from this week's practices was wide receiver Marquise Goodwin.
"His back was sore from last week," Shanahan said before practice. "It was still stiff just over the weekend when he came in. I'm sure Quise would have pushed through and been out there if it was regular season or anything. But just, at this time, it's not worth it."
Wide receiver Trent Taylor continues to miss practices as he recovers from minor back surgery. He is expected to return at the start of training camp or, at the worst, one or two weeks in, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan.
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers cancel mandatory minicamp after perfect attendance during OTAs
The San Francisco 49ers have canceled next week's mandatory minicamp, rewarding players for achieving 100 percent attendance during this week's organized team activities (OTAs). The decision comes as the 49ers near the conclusion of their offseason program. OTAs are scheduled... -
49ers defense ranks among NFL's least expensive units in 2026
The San Francisco 49ers head into the 2026 season with approximately $72 million in salary cap space, the most in the NFL by a wide margin, according to OverTheCap.com. The next-closest team, the Tennessee Titans, has nearly $50 million in available cap space. However, much of... -
49ers coordinator couldn't hide excitement after defense picks off Brock Purdy
Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, new San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris couldn't resist boasting about his defense intercepting quarterback Brock Purdy during practice. The media had only two opportunities to observe organized team activities (OTAs),... -
49ers mailbag: How much will Kaelon Black play as a rookie? Will SF sign any more free agents? Will the defense be any better in 2026?
The San Francisco 49ers have started OTAs (organized team activities), and there's finally actual football to discuss. It may not be like training camp, but it's close enough. And training camp isn't too far away. We opened the 49ers Webzone Mailbag to see what was on your...