Both the offense and the defense had their moments on Day 2, although the quarterbacks struggled, which allowed the defense to dominate more.
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Offense
Quarterbacks
I broke down every throw that Trey Lance and Sam Darnold threw, both in 7-on-7s and 11-on-11s, grading each of their performances on Day 2 of training camp Thursday.
Running Backs
After Tyrion Davis-Price made my "standouts" list for Day 1 of training camp, Elijah Mitchell followed suit and earned the honors on Thursday with a strong performance that showcased his full arsenal, while splitting time with the first and second-team offenses.
Mitchell and Mason ran the ball hard on Thursday, with the latter even lowering his shoulder and delivering a playful hit to a linebacker on a run, and it was a good response after Davis-Price stole the show on Wednesday.
Mason didn't drop a pass on Wednesday, taking one from Trey Lance for his catch of the day, while Davis-Price dropped one of his two targets in the flat on a ball from Lance, while not getting as much of an opportunity, as Christian McCaffrey re-entered the fold for portions of team drills.
McCaffrey and Mitchell started the day strong, as the run game dominated on the first drive of 11-on-11s, with each player having a good play of their own.
Despite no pads, the run game showed promise on several occasions, especially with the first-team offense, even when going to the right side, leaving good optimism when the 49ers eventually do get into pads. But, until then, it'll be hard to gauge the run game and play in the trenches.
Wide Receivers
Brandon Aiyuk made a couple of nice plays again, catching a good pass from Brock Purdy and making the play with Charvarius Ward close in coverage, while also hauling in a deep 35-yarder from Sam Darnold, but missed out on the "standouts" list due to a concentration drop on a 25-yard dime from the starting quarterback that was layered over the outstretched hands of Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles.
Danny Gray has been a name to watch over the first few practices, as the 49ers are rotating a few receivers in to play with the first-team offense, with the 2022 third-round pick being one of the names.
Gray has looked solid thus far, making a few plays again on Thursday, but sometimes gets jammed in coverage when attempting to run routes, which will task Kyle Shanahan with an effective way to use him in 2023.
Jauan Jennings made a tough catch on a pass from Brandon Allen, making a nice play over the newly-signed Terrance Mitchell.
Without 1-on-1s, there hasn't really been an opportunity for receivers on the bubble to make a name for themselves, although some have dropped passes when getting on the field, such as Tay Martin, who had a strong 2022 camp, but suffered a drop Thursday.
Tight Ends
George Kittle returned to the fold in team drills on Thursday, which was the storyline for several key 49ers starters, although he was limited, allowing Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley to get reps with the first-team offense.
It was not a great day for the veteran duo, as Woerner dropped his lone target, while Purdy overthrew Dwelley too far in front on a short pass.
Kittle himself earned two targets, catching a quick out-route in the 7-on-7s from Brock Purdy, while the duo couldn't connect on a wide throw from Purdy during 11-on-11s.
Rookies Cameron Latu and Brayden Willis continue to be targeted, as the former caught his lone pass attempt, while the latter converted on one of two opportunities, with the lone miss being an inaccurate throw from Trey Lance.
Offensive Line
Trent Williams practiced in full today, meaning the 49ers had their entire first-team offensive line out there for the first time in training camp to support Brock Purdy.
Williams didn't have the best day pass-rush-wise, but San Francisco was able to get a bit going early on in the run game toward both sides with a few solid runs from Elijah Mitchell and Christian McCaffrey.
There were a few sacks on the day, as the combination of edge and interior pressure alongside Steve Wilks's blitzes proved to be too much for the offense on a few occasions.
Rotations-wise, the 49ers had the same four players snapping in pre-practice warmups: Jake Brendel, Jon Feliciano, Corey Luciano, and Nick Zakelj.
However, they switched things up with the backup unit, as Feliciano primarily played guard, with him, Zakelj, and Jason Poe flipping between the left and right interior spots. As a result, Keith Ismael took second-string center snaps for the second practice in a row.
The 49ers' offensive line evaluations will truly begin when pads come on, as 1-on-1 reps will also begin, but for now, there aren't too many updates on the team's top unit along the front five.
Written By:
Rohan Chakravarthi
Writer/Reporter for 49ers Webzone
All articles by Rohan Chakravarthi
Rohan Chakravarthi
Writer/Reporter for 49ers Webzone
All articles by Rohan Chakravarthi