SANTA CLARA — The 49ers just finished Day 4 of training camp. Here’s who stood out. Keep in mind, today was the players’ first day in pads. And although the 49ers are in the process of signing Deebo Samuel, the acquisition isn’t official yet, so he wasn’t at practice.
THE GOOD
1. Wide receiver Mike Evans
Won all of his reps against Deommodore Lenoir during 1 on 1s, and caught a touchdown pass over Upton Stout in the red zone. To be fair, those two cornerbacks are simply too short to cover Evans, who’s open even when he’s covered. He should make a huge impact near the goal line, but he won’t gain many yards after the catch, which is a big reason why the 49ers are signing Deebo Samuel.
2. Safety Marques Sigle
Locked down rookie wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling during 1 on 1 drills and intercepted a pass that was intended for him. Sigle seems stronger and more confident than he did last year. He might be the best safety on the team. He’s certainly the best safety in man-to-man coverage.
3. Defensive end Romello Height
He may not offer much as a run defender, but he can dip and bend around the edge as a pass rusher. Today, he blew past rookie left tackle Enrique Cruz, who couldn’t bend down low enough to touch Height. I haven’t seen a 49ers defensive end do something like that since Dee Ford was on the team.
4. Defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa
Juked backup left tackle Robert Jones with a jab step to the outside and a quick counter back to the inside during 1 on 1 drills. So far, the 49ers’ four-man pass rush hasn’t produced much pressure during 11 on 11s, but that’s partially because Nick Bosa isn’t out there yet. Individually, the 49ers’ pass rushers have shown some promise.
5. Defensive tackle Sebastian Valdez
Alfred Collins finally returned from his shoulder surgery, and yet Sebastian Valdez kept his spot in the starting defense. And during 1 on 1s, he was one of the most difficult interior rushers to block. Rookie Carver Willis, in particular, really struggled against Valdez.
6. Linebacker Nick Martin
Started at strongside linebacker and made the first two tackles of 11 on 11 drills. First, he stopped Christian McCaffrey in the backfield for a loss of two yards. Next, he stopped Kaeon Black in the hole after a gain of just two. It seems like he’s finally trusting his eyes and reacting quicly.
7. Wide receiver Jacob Cowing
He had to change his number yet again, this time because Deebo Samuel is coming back. Now, Cowing is No. 6, which is Malik Mustapha’s number, which means Cowing is firmly on the roster bubble. He needs to play well now, or he’s cooked. Fortunately for him, he played his best today. Suddenly, he’s one of the best route runners on the team. Today, he beat Upton Stout with a crisp out route during 1 on 1s. Don’t write off Cowing just yet. The 49ers need at least one wide receiver who can create separation.
THE NOT SO GOOD
1. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw
Almost started a fight with Christian McCaffrey. Greenlaw was late getting to the flat and gave up a catch to McCaffrey, who jogged out of bounds. Greenlaw caught up to him and pushed him when he was already out of bounds. That would have been a 15-yard penalty in a game. McCaffrey didn’t appreciate the shove, so he got up and threw the ball at Greenlaw and hit him in the face. They yelled something at each other, but quickly ran back to the huddle for the next play. Greenlaw is almost 30, and he’s still hitting players out of bounds. You’d think he’d outgrow that eventually, but no.
2. Linebacker Fred Warner
Started an all-out brawl a few minutes after Greenlaw almost started one. Warner was covering Jacob Tonges, who pushed off to create separation and make a 10-yard catch. The officials threw the flag. The play was over. But Warner was irate that Tonges touched him, so Warner started screaming in his face and threw a punch at him. Then Colton McKivitz ran over to defend Tonges. Then Greenlaw sprinted in and tackled McKivitz. A few yards away, head coach Kyle Shanahan watched and shook his head with annoyance. Warner needs to chill out. Just a few days ago, he broke Jordan James’ ribs by trying to punch the ball out of his hands in a non-padded practice. Relax, Fred. These are your teammates.
3. Wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling
He’s terrific on play-action passes between the 20s. He’s big, he’s fast, he has a wide catch radius and he’s not scared to run over the middle against zone coverage. He’s going to catch lots of passes on the 49ers, but he’s not going to be particularly dangerous against man to man coverage, and he won’t do much in the red zone. Today, he faced Nate Hobbs and Marques Sigle in the red zone during 1 on 1s and struggled to separate from either of them. Now that Deebo Samuel is replacing Ricky Pearsall, the 49ers might have the worst trio of route runners at wide receiver in the NFL.
4. Left tackle Trent Williams
Left practice a few minutes early with what looked like a throat or jaw injury. He wobbled off the field, took off his helmet, and a trainer checked his head.
5. Quarterback Brock Purdy
He’s making good decisions and protecting the football, which is big for him. In the past, he was somewhat reckless in practice. Not this year. However, his passes have less zip than last year. I’m not sure why, but every pass seems to be a floater. He’s layering throws with touch even when he doesn’t have to. And when he throws the ball down the field, it hangs in the air for what feels like an eternity. This is new, and it’s something to monitor.
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