Week 2 Preseason: 49ers vs Chargers

-How many WR spots will De’Zhaun Stribling line up at -Alfred Collins pad level and anchor -Can Carver Willis be serviceable in pass pro -Will Jordan Watkins show any effort or effectiveness blocking or in the return game -Can Jacob Cowing hold off Will Pauling -Is Kaelon Black the first 3rd round Kyle pick back that looks the part -Can any safety put up decent tape -Will the pash rush show up at all tonight and from whom -Watch out for #18 Wesley Grimes in the 2nd half 

LT Austen Pleasants LG Carver Willis C Jake Brendel RG Connor Colby RT Colton McKivitz

Starting OL in front of Purdy

On The Run

 

49ers - Chargers Joint Practice

 

The main things I’m looking at: • How will the battle for the LG go? • Will rookies De'Zhaun Stribling and Jaden Dugger continue to stand out? • How will the secondary look in coverage against Justin Herbert? • Fired up to hear how Brock Purdy does during the red zone period

QB Impact Metric Ranks

 

2026 53-Man Roster Projection

QB: Purdy, Jones, Rourke (3)

RB: CMC, Kaelon Black, Jordan James, Patrick Taylor Jr., Isaac Guerendo (PUP) (4)

FB: Juice (1)

WR: Evans, Stribling, Deebo, Robinson, Watson, Pauling (6)

TE: Jake Tonges, Luke Farrell, Kittle (PUP) (2) 

LT: Williams, Lowe (2)

LG: Jones, Willis (2)

C: Brendel, Toth (2)

RG: Puni, Colby (2)

RT: McKivitz, Cruz (2)

DE: Bosa, Williams (PUP), Keion White, Romello Height, Sam Okuayinonu (4)

DT: Osa Odighizuwa, Alfred Collins, CJ West, Gracen Halton, James Thompson Jr. (5)

LB: Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw, Jaden Duggar, Nick Martin, Tatum Bethune, Luke Gifford (6)

CB: Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green, Upton Stout, Jack Jones, Ephesians Prysock (5)

S: Ji’Ayir Brown, Marques Sigle, Malik Mustapha, Ashtyn Davis (4)

Kicker: Eddy Piñeiro

Punter: Corliss Waitman

Long snapper: Jon Weeks

Kick returner: Samuel,Watkins

Punt returner: Watkins, Pauling

Lombardi's Practice Notes

 HOME STRETCH of training camp. De'Zhaun Stribling continues cooking, Carver Willis is springing into an opportunity, and Osa Odighizuwa is dominating. Highlights...

Jacob Cowing was back from his hip flexor. Dropped an out attempt, but later caught a go-ball from Mac Jones. SF also used Cowing's speed on a pitch sweep It was the Luke Farrell Show on the move-the-ball drive. Brock Purdy went to the vet TE, who's been much more involved in the pass game this camp, several times — including a TD. Earlier, Farrell had climbed the ladder to grab a nice pass up the seam Rookie safety Jalen Stroman INT off Jones on a seam shot Odighizuwa was a frequent visitor to the backfield. 49ers seemed to be giving LG Robert Jones, who played 44 snaps on Thursday, a slight breather — that led to rookie Carver Willis and Connor Colby handling LG for the first team Two catches today for vet WR Trent Irwin, a Stanford product who played several years with Joe Burrow in Cincinnati. Included a deep corner from Brock Purdy that fired up the crowd Mike Evans returned to team drills and made a few catches, headlined by a bigger gainer from Jones and an early shot from Purdy. Fred Warner futilely tried to punch the ball out after that Evans catch RB Khalil Herbert fumbled. It was scooped up by CB Jack Jones, who was back in action after exiting the preseason opener with a hand injury Rookie RB Kaelon Black (adductor) rehabbed on the side and then watched team drills with a play sheet in his hand. Reminded me of Klay Kubiak emphasizing the other day that pros will be find a way to be ready, even if they can't fully practice QB Adrian Martinez was much more accurate than in Thursday's game. Worth noting that marked the first time QBs took hits in a long time (probably an even greater credit to Kurtis Rourke for looking as good as he did — don't forget that the Titans' QBs were off too). Anyway, Martinez delivered a nice ball on a big gainer to TE Hayden Rucci Nice sliding catch near the sideline for WR Jordan Watkins, who's added about 7-10 pounds of muscle. That followed a good 6-catch performance Thursday Rookie D-linemen Romello Height and James Thompson Jr. both ripped through for play-altering pressures PBU for Marques Sigle on a Purdy throw intended for Demarcus Robinson Stribling keeps making catches and he's now getting the Mike Evans treatment (no special teams drills). 49ers clearly love what they've seen from the rookie WR so far Trent Williams is rolling through these final three practices of camp. Following next Thursday's game vs Chargers, it'll officially be dress rehearsal week for the 49ers.

Passing Situations

This graph shows how often 2025 QBs were in obvious passing situations and their EPA on those plays. 

Post Game Stock

 STOCK UP

De’Zhaun Stribling Kurtis Rourke Sebastian Valdez Gracen Halton Jaden Duggar Corliss Waitman Larry Worth James Thompson Jr. STOCK DOWN Alfred Collins Connor Colby Robert Jones Nick Martin Adrian Martinez Bryson Eason Jack Jones (Injury)

NFL Preseason Game 1: Titans vs 49ers

Football is back baby!  

Football Insights

 Brandon Thorn has the 49ers OL ranked 11th, PFF 10th. With Football Insights 9th ranking it seems everyone is on the same page except for some fans. 

"A Hell Of A Day"

 Nick Wagoner, “This was a practice with QB Brock Purdy in total control. Not counting him spiking the ball once in two-minute, I had Purdy at 21-of-27 on the day with no interceptions and at least three for sure touchdowns with two or three others that could have gone for one. In one sequence during a move the ball period, Purdy dropped one over and between three defenders to rookie WR De'Zhaun Stribling, hitting him in stride for what likely would have gone for a long touchdown. He then fired a strike to TE Jake Tonges deep down the middle for another big gain as it layered over another defender, fired a short one to WR Deebo Samuel for another chunk and then hit WR Demarcus Robinson on a busted coverage for a touchdown. Even Shanahan had to give Purdy his props after, noting that he had 'a hell of a day'.”

Unofficial

 

Offensive Line Continuity

 

Notes and observations from 49ers practice #10

- RB Christian McCaffrey was the only addition to the not practicing report Monday with what the team called "tightness." Understandably, lots of eyes will be on that situation. OC Klay Kubiak says the team is "just managing" McCaffrey with an eye toward having him ready for Week 1 against the Rams. We'll see if he's in the mix for a joint practice tomorrow but (my take) seems more likely they'd hold him out so he can get this week to rid himself of that tightness. He'd be unlikely to play Thursday night anyway. - Coach Kyle Shanahan was out there for essentially the entire practice as he continues his road back to full strength. - One notable thing from before practice: TE George Kittle did the most extensive side work we've been able to see so far in this camp. He was running routes, catching passes and doing some conditioning. Seems to be moving quite well as he bounces back from Achilles injury. - The full list of those missing practice today: McCaffrey, LB Luke Gifford (hamstring), DE Nick Bosa (soreness), WR Jacob Cowing (hip flexor strain), FB Kyle Juszczyk (broken finger), OL Brett Toth (concussion), WR Christian Kirk (calf), WR Mike Evans (quad), S Malik Mustapha (hamstring), RB Kaelon Black (adductor), RB Jordan James (rib), DL Keion White (adductor), OT Vederian Lowe (ankle) Players on PUP: Kittle (achilles), RB Isaac Guerendo (pec), DL Mykel Williams (ACL) - Almost all of those guys did at least some level of work on the side during practice. That included Evans, of course, but this is first time I've seen White and Black doing stuff since their adductor injuries. - OL Carver Willis is back from his concussion. He jumped right in with the 2s at LG with Connor Colby on the right side. Robert Jones continues to rep with the 1s at LG. Kubiak says the competition for the starting LG spot is still open. - A roster move: Team released OL Nick Zakelj. They signed OL Doug Kramer Jr. - A number change: WR Will Pauling switched from No. 4 to No. 84. He and QB Adrian Martinez were both in 4 but changed presumably because they need to have different numbers for the preseason game when they might be on the field at the same time. - Some pretty good battles in one-on-one pass rush drills today. Not a lot of convincing wins on either side, which means it was pretty good work. Among the standouts: Colton McKivitz doing well against Sam Okauyinonu followed by a good battle with Romello Height in which McKivitz seemed to have him stopped but Height spun out of it for a late pressure... It's been a rough camp for Enrique Cruz Jr. but he had a nice recovery on an outside rush from Ogbo Okoronkwo, though K.J. Henry later beat him cleanly... C.J. West had a good rep early against C Jake Brendel though he and Brendel later had another good battle... In one sequence, Willis took back to back reps, one at C and one at LG. He was beat clean at center by West then moved to guard and did very well against Osa Odighizuwa. Suffice to say, Willis a work in progress at C and looks more comfortable at G, as you'd expect... The Niners worked TE Luke Farrell in a bit here, isolating him against DEs Titus Leo and Quinton Bell. Leo and Bell got the better of him, though Farrell put up a fight in both. - Another solid day with some big plays for QB Brock Purdy and the offense. I had Purdy at 10-of-13 (would-be sacks and some penalties nullified a few throws to my eye). He hit rookie WR De'Zhaun Stribling on a perfect deep corner for a huge gain and later found WR Demarcus Robinson for another big play/would-be TD. Purdy also hit Deebo over the middle for what would have been a big gainer. - One of those stops on Purdy I had as a would-be sack for LB Fred Warner. Purdy scrambled away from pressure but Warner came up and made the play. Warner also had a big thud on WR Junior Bergen after he caught a short pass. - With their projected top four RBs not practicing, there was plenty of work for the others on the roster today, perhaps most notably Khalil Herbert. Wouldn't be surprised if Herbert gets plenty of work on Thursday night along with Patrick Taylor Jr. and Sincere McCormick. - CB Jack Jones had another interception, this time jumping in front of a throw from Martinez for WR Jordan Watkins. - A couple of drops Monday as Samuel had a Purdy pass go through his hands and bounce off his chest and McCormick failed to haul in another throw from Purdy. - LB Nick Martin had a nice run stuff while playing on the LOS and DT Sebastian Valdez had a would-be sack. - A relatively light session though with plenty of team periods and some competitive move the ball and red zone sessions. Things will pick up a bit more tomorrow when the Titans come to town for a joint practice. 

Australia: Sleep Science

Reading more into some sleep science, I am not convinced the 49ers are making the correct choice vs the Rams with the Australia trip. At least based on the National Library of Medicine, arriving within 24 hours, the Rams will avoid having to adjust to the new time zone as that adjustment peaks around 48-72 hours. The 49ers will have adjusted to local time as they will be 7 days early. However, the game is 10:35AM local. Peak physical body performance is late afternoon. The 49ers will be playing at a 10:35AM physical body clock, while the rams will be playing at a 5:35PM body clock. Plus, they won’t be jet lagged on return never having adjusted. 

Science Direct provides the counter argument and backs the 49ers strategy. Maybe acclimating to the climate is more important than trying to avoid the jet lag - same reason they practiced in Colorado before the Mexico City game. Australia has opposite seasons as us, so it could be smart. I like the extra time for team bonding. I guess we'll find out soon enough which is the better approach.

Nick's Notes and observations from #49ers practice No. 9:

- Coach Kyle Shanahan is very close to being back at full speed. He came out to practice today at 10:26 am and was on the field for the whole thing. He's still not quite calling the offense and standing in his usual spot but he's getting there as evidenced by his surprise media session after practice. - The entire coaching staff was wearing Roger Craig No. 33 shirts in honor of the legendary running back as he goes into the Pro Football Hall of Fame today. - The only new name added to the list of non participants in practice on Saturday: LB Luke Gifford. It's unclear why he didn't participate but he did some work on the side. - The full list of those missing practice today: Gifford, OL Nick Zakelj (elbow), DE Nick Bosa (soreness), OL Carver Willis (concussion), WR Jacob Cowing (hip flexor strain), FB Kyle Juszczyk (broken finger), OL Brett Toth (concussion), WR Christian Kirk (calf), WR Mike Evans (quad), S Malik Mustapha (hamstring), RB Kaelon Black (adductor), RB Jordan James (rib), DL Keion White (adductor), OT Vederian Lowe (ankle) Players on PUP: TE George Kittle (achilles), RB Isaac Guerendo (pec), DL Mykel Williams (ACL) - Once again, many of these guys were doing some sort of work on the side. Evans looks close to full strength and Shanahan said Evans probably feels like he can be back now but they want to be smart with him. - WR De'Zhaun Stribling and LB Dre Greenlaw were back in team drills in varying capacities after easing back in from a hamstring and soreness the other day. - Some notes from one-on-one pass rush drills: RG Dominick Puni looks like he's ready to take another big step forward and potentially set himself up for a nice pay day. He had excellent reps against DT Osa Odighizuwa and Gracen Halton. ... Colton McKivitz shut down DE Romello Height on the first rep of practice then did it again later. They ran it back and Height jumped offsides twice before finally getting past McKivitz with a nice spin move inside... Rough day for DT CJ West, who seemed to be struggling to keep his pads low. He came up out of his stance a bit high a few times and didn't generate much push on a few of his reps, including one where C Jake Brendel handled him well... Brendel also had a good rep against Sebastian Valdez... Rookie DTs James Thompson Jr. and Bryson Eason and Odighizuwa and got the better of Connor Colby... Drake Nugent had a couple of solid showings against Thompson and West... Still no Alfred Collins here, though he's been plenty involved in team periods. And no one-on-ones for Trent Williams today (though he usually only does one rep anyway). - Score one for the defense today, bouncing back after the top offense had torched it a couple of times during the week. - CB Upton Stout led the way with a couple of big plays. First, he had a diving pass breakup near the goal line on a pass from QB Brock Purdy intended for Demarcus Robinson. Later, Stout jumped a throw for Robinson, picked it off and returned it for a touchdown. Stout even did a front flip into the end zone to cap it off. - CB Deommodore Lenoir, who has had his share of pass breakups in this camp finally got his hands on one with another pick (and possible return for a TD?) on another throw from Purdy for Robinson. Seemed perhaps Purdy tried to squeeze some tight ones into Robinson and it just didn't work today like in recent practices. - LB Fred Warner had an impressive pass breakup on a layered throw over the middle intended for Jordan Watkins. Warner also recovered what appeared to be a fumble early in the first period of team though it was unclear what exactly happened from my vantage point. - DB Nate Hobbs flashed some play making today with a bit more work in team. He had a pair of pass breakups in the red zone, one on a throw for Watkins froM Mac Jones in the corner of the end zone (there was an offside penalty called here) and another on a throw over the middle from Adrian Martinez. - DT Gracen Halton had a nice run stuff against Patrick Taylor Jr. right before Stout's pick-6. Collins got his hand up and batted down a Kurtis Rourke pass. - The Niners did a lot of mixing and matching today on offense. There were times where the top OL worked with QB Kurtis Rourke and other QBs were in with different lines. Perhaps made things a bit more disjointed for the offense. - It wasn't all bad on that side of the ball, though. Had Purdy at 15-of-22, including a tight window TD in the red zone to TE Luke Farrell, who continues to be a favorite target for Purdy in this camp. Purdy also hit Farrell on a deep throw up the seam and hit WR Trenton Irwin on a deep ball early in practice as well as a nice job moving in the pocket and finding Christian McCaffrey for a big gain over the middle. - Stribling was back in the mix in team and making an impact again, catching balls from multiple quarterbacks on multiple routes for multiple sizable gains. Shanahan referred to Stribling picking things up in a hurry in his presser and it continues to look like -- if healthy -- Stribling could have a fairly extensive role early on. - The running back situation behind McCaffrey has no clarity right now because Black, James and Guerendo are out. Nothing against the others that are getting reps there but this is such a prime opportunity for one of those young backs to plant the flag as RB2 and it's just not happening because of injury. Perhaps some will return next week because the path is there. - The Niners are off tomorrow but we will have some access to assistant coaches. Will pass along some notables that come from that session and then right back to it next week with the Titans coming for joint practice on Tuesday and the preseason opener on Thursday.  

Dynamic Balance

 Seems Brock prefers shotgun and feels like we operate out of it much more than we used to. Could be it affects how the running game hasn't been the same too.

Nick's Notes #8

- Once again, coach Kyle Shanahan was on the field for almost all of practice and keeps getting more involved each day. As QB Mac Jones noted after the session, Shanahan is "inching closer" to his usual spot on the field. That's an indication he's also inching closer to being back to full duty. - The Niners had their Dwight Clark celebration Thursday. That's usually reserved for August 7 in honor of Clark's jersey number but with only a walk through tomorrow, they had it today. Former Niners TE Brent Jones was in attendance and spoke to guests about Clark's legacy. - On the injury front, the only new addition to the list from yesterday was OL Nick Zakelj, who injured his elbow in practice Wednesday. The full list of those missing practice today: Zakelj, DE Nick Bosa (soreness), OL Carver Willis (concussion), WR Jacob Cowing (hip flexor strain), FB Kyle Juszczyk (broken finger), OL Brett Toth (concussion), WR Christian Kirk (calf), WR Mike Evans (quad), S Malik Mustapha (hamstring), RB Kaelon Black (adductor), RB Jordan James (rib), DL Keion White (adductor), OT Vederian Lowe (ankle) Players on PUP: TE George Kittle (achilles), RB Isaac Guerendo (pec), DL Mykel Williams (ACL) - LB Dre Greenlaw (soreness), WR De'Zhaun Stribling (hamstring) and DT Osa Odighizuwa (soreness) were in pads and easing back in today. They did some individual but not much in team periods (Osa did a little it seemed). Saw Stribling doing some running at or near full speed during team drills. Greenlaw was again watching from behind the defense during team. - DE Sam Okuayinonu was back and participating after he was shaken up late in practice yesterday. - Many of the Niners on the injured list were doing full workouts and conditioning on the side. Evans was doing some running and Guerendo continues to look like he's close to a return from PUP. - One roster move given the injuries on the interior OL: The Niners signed OL Kion Smith and waived WR Colton Dowell. - Rookie DT Gracen Halton continues to make a strong first impression. The guy has a lot of juice with a quick first step and short-area burst paired with some powerful hands that seem to catch OL off guard. He had impressive 1v1 wins against Robert Jones, Connor Colby and Jake Brendel. And then made some plays in team periods also. Halton also isn't afraid to express his passion, often letting out a yell after making a play or winning a 1v1 rep. Fresh legs help but this is also what he flashed at Oklahoma. It's early and he needs to do it against someone else but it's not hard to envision a role for him on third downs early as a rookie. - Other notes from 1 on 1s today: RT Colton McKivitz just continues to be rock solid in his spot. Did well against Romello Height on a pair of matchups... Same for Dom Puni, who Chris Foerster clearly thinks has the makings of a guy ready to take another step forward in year 3... Austen Pleasants had a good rep against Okuayinonu when Okuayinonu seemed to have him beat with a spin but Pleasants recovered and walled him off... CJ West showed off his powerful hands and ability to re-direct them in a good rep against Colby... Rookie Enrique Cruz Jr. has had some rough reps in these, including one against Igbo Okoronkwo today. After, Foerster spent some time with Cruz giving him some pointers... Still intrigued to see undrafted DT James Thompson Jr. against another team. There's some tools to develop there in the rookie out of Illinois. - For the second day in a row, the story of team drills was QB Brock Purdy and the top offense. They had the rough outing earlier in the week and have responded with a pair of excellent practices. Purdy was 13-of-14 on Wednesday and 11-of-14 today. That included three of his best throws of camp: deep balls perfectly placed for likely TDs to WRs KhaDarel Hodge and Malik Turner and then a crosser to WR Deebo Samuel who had Deommodore Lenoir in excellent position in coverage but the ball was in the one small window where Samuel could get it. The first play of team was a rope to Demarcus Robinson for a big gain, too. Credit to Purdy and Co. for the bounce back. I asked DC Raheem Morris what he's observed about Purdy being up close with him for more than a week now. His answer: "The Layer King has some really intensive intensity and I like that about him," Morris said. "Today he got fired up, which was cool, which was fun, which is competitive. And I love that. And when he does those things, it just makes the team go." - CB Jack Jones finds a way to make a play in practice nearly every day and did so again today. He jumped in front of a crosser from Mac Jones for Jordan Watkins for an interception. It wasn't an easy one, either, as Jones tapped it to himself with his right hand then hauled it in. - Another day with the 1s at LG for Robert Jones, who is going to get a good look there it seems. Connor Colby ran with the 2s and 3s again, including on the right side. And Pleasants got some more work at guard, too. My early read: The Niners are going to have to keep looking for the best option for LG. Not sure that person is on the roster, though the concussion for Carver Willis is unfortunate because he might have been able to force his way into the conversation. - WR Demarcus Robinson continues to quietly have a nice camp. Said it before but a dependable wideout who has the versatility to play any position usually finds his way on to the roster. - Some pressures/potential would-be sacks today in team from Height, Okuayinonu, Odighizuwa. Run stuffs from Halton, West, Height, Thompson and Jaden Dugger, among others. - S Ji'Ayir Brown forced a fumble by TE Luke Farrell after a completion from Purdy with CB Renardo Green scooping it up and returning it. LB Luke Gifford nearly intercepted Jones on a throw for Deebo. Lenoir was in tight coverage to force one of Purdy's incompletions and Purdy's final pass of team for Farrell was a bit long though it seemed Farrell got his hands on it and had a chance to make the play. - Dugger got some work with the top defense today as the Niners continue to find ways to deploy him. Morris explained the "fever backer" position in his defense and what he wants and it sounds like something a guy with Dugger's versatility could fit. That's also true for Height and Nick Martin. As preseason goes on, that should clarify a bit how often the position is used and who they envision handling it the most. - Haven't seen or heard much from Nate Hobbs in this camp. He's been out there but hasn't been super involved in team of late. Perhaps still working his way back to football shape but others asserting themselves in the DB competition in the meantime. - Rookie CB Ephesians Prysock is stringing some good practices together. Looking forward to seeing him against another team. Sounds like Morris is, too. - Niners have walkthrough tomorrow and then a full practice Saturday before a Sunday off. Soon enough, we'll be to next week and joint practices with the Titans.  

Nick's Notes #7

Notes and observations from 49ers practice No. 7: - By the end of Wednesday's practice, the Niners had 20 players (including the 3 on PUP) not participating because of injury. In 2024, they had 23 not practicing when they canceled joint practices with the Saints. Chris Foerster says that's not something that's come up to him with the Titans for next week, though it could have been discussed elsewhere in the building. Don't think the Niners are super concerned that the injuries they have (aside from Pearsall) are long term but they still need to have enough healthy bodies to handle the rigors of joint practices. - The full list of those missing practice today: New additions: DE Nick Bosa (soreness), LB Dre Greenlaw (soreness), DT Osa Odighizuwa (soreness), OL Carver Willis (concussion), WR Jacob Cowing (hip flexor strain), FB Kyle Juszczyk (broken finger), OL Brett Toth (undisclosed). Shaken up in practice: OL Nick Zakelj, DE Sam Okuayinonu Previously disclosed: WR Christian Kirk (calf), WR Mike Evans (quad), S Malik Mustapha (hamstring), WR De'Zhaun Stribling (hamstring), RB Kaelon Black (adductor), RB Jordan James (rib), DL Keion White (adductor), OT Vederian Lowe (ankle) PUP: TE George Kittle (achilles), RB Isaac Guerendo (pec), DL Mykel Williams (ACL) - For the record, many of these guys, including Evans and Kirk did some work on the side, including some full speed running. Guerendo and Mustapha, in particular seem to be close to back. Greenlaw also seemed to be fine as he got a bit of a rest today with soreness. He watched practice from the defensive back field. - Coach Kyle Shanahan continues to be out around his normal time (10:47 today for those keeping score) and handling more and more. Not quite fully back but still seems to be trending the right way. - The Niners released DT Kevin Givens and DL Cam Sample and signed DL Ogbo Okoronkwo and WR KhaDarel Hodge. - Niners had enough OL and DL to do some one-on-ones today... Halton's fresh legs showed up here a few times, including a really strong rush against Zakelj and a solid one against Robert Jones. His quickness and burst is evident. Just a matter of staying healthy and getting much needed reps... Okoronkwo also has some fresh legs and had a nice power rush against Enrique Cruz Jr., who has struggled in this drill... Good day for Sebastian Valdez both in one on ones and in team. He gave Connor Colby some problems here then had success in team... Austen Pleasants took a rep or two at right guard here which is unusual. Foerster indicated he wanted to move a handful of OL around in these drills but the injuries messed up those plans. Presumably, Pleasants got to move because of that... CJ West showed his power a few times, including against Jones and Zakelj, though Jake Brendel had a good rep against him... Romello Height is made for this drill in some ways. His first step and bend impresses nearly every time. Will need to expand his bag (and maybe it's already there) a bit but the tools to be effective in obvious passing situations seem apparent. He had a good rep against Colton McKivitz who has otherwise been stout in these. - Speaking of the offensive line, Jones got his first crack at running at left guard with the 1s today with Colby getting reps with the 2s and 3s. Foerster said he hoped to get Colby some work on the right side and had all kinds of plans to move the pieces around a bit but injuries to Toth and Willis scuttled that. Not sure this means a big change in the plans but worth noting and following. - DT Alfred Collins got his first extended work in team periods after returning from PUP last week. Haven't seen Collins in 1v1 yet but a step forward for him, especially with Odighizuwa not participating today. - With Greenlaw watching, Garret Wallow got a look at the weak side linebacker spot. Also, Nick Martin was supposedly shaken up last open practice but he was on the field today seemingly no worse for the wear. - A really good practice for QB Brock Purdy despite musical pass catchers. Had him at 13-of-14 (he had another one broken up by Lenoir but looked like a would-be sack first) on the day and the one incompletion could have been a flag as LB Garret Wallow either perfectly timed or was a bit early on a throw to RB Christian McCaffrey. Some highlights from Purdy: Escaped pressure from Height, rolled to his right, got a good block from TE Luke Farrell and dropped one in the bucket to McCaffrey over the middle for a big gain... In a three-play red zone sequence, he threw a TD to Patrick Taylor Jr. on a ball that was perfectly placed low and to the left where only Taylor could get it as Ji'Ayir Brown closed in from the other side then ran for a score on a designed run and finished by rolling out and finding Junior Bergen for a touchdown. He capped practice finding WR Jordan Watkins deep down the left side for another score in move the ball. - Farrell hasn't proved much of an option in the pass game since his arrival but he was very involved on Wednesday. Had him down for five catches, all from Purdy, including three in the move the ball period to set up Watkins' TD. Jake Tonges has been more involved, too, and with all the injuries at WR, it's clear Purdy has a level of comfort with the TEs that can pay dividends. - Watkins is putting together a nice camp and Purdy has faith in him but he also has had some go through his hands that he probably should have had. A good opportunity right now for him to carve out a role given all the other injuries. The good outweighs the bad, just needs a bit more consistency. - Foerster said McCaffrey and LT Trent Williams are on a rep count in this camp, as you'd expect. But he also tipped his hat to them for being at practice every day and setting a tone for the young players. Both were their usual, productive selves on Wednesday. - Best defensive play of the day came when CB Jack Jones jumped in front of a pass from Martinez to deflect it into the waiting arms of LB Jaden Dugger. Dugger caught it and returned it for a would-be pick-6. - Among the other defensive highlights from team drills: Okuayinonu got some pressure and a would-be sack but if it wasn't, Lenoir had yet another PBU. Darrell Luter Jr. had a nice pass breakup on a throw to the end zone for Demarcus Robinson from Martinez. West burst through for a run stuff on the first play of team. LB Fred Warner snuffed out a run for McCaffrey early in that period, also. Halton stuffed Khalil Herbert with a quick move in the first period for the 3s. A nice PBU on a throw for TE Brayden Willis, was hard to tell but I *think* it was Siran Neal who knocked it away. LB Jalen Graham also had a nice read and run stuff against Sincere McCormick. CB Ephesians Prysock with sticky coverage to deny a deep ball from Kurtis Rourke for Wesley Grimes. - The Niners are back at it tomorrow after AC/DC plays Levi's tonight. In the year 2026, I wouldn't think they still move the needle enough to have concerts at a place as big as Levi's but here they are. Can only respect it for a group that's been doing it for more than five decades. Shoutout to them.  

Getting An Edge

Veteran EDGE Ogbo Okoronkwo is signing with the 49ers today, per Fowler. A 2019 fifth-round pick, he has 17 sacks in his 81-game career (13 starts). Played one game and suffered a torn triceps last season with the Eagles.

81 Career Games 17.0 Sacks 132 Tackles 31 Tackles for Loss 38 QB Hits 4 Forced Fumbles

3T Expectations

 Osa Odighizuwa has generated 32 pressures when double teamed since the start of 2024, 2nd most in the NFL.

Odighizuwa's 9.1% pressure rate on those pass rushes is 3rd highest in that span (min. 200 double teams).

Nick's Notes

Notes and observations from Niners practice No. 6: - A long session for the Niners coming off a walk through on Sunday. They'll get a full day off tomorrow and begin another practice block on Wednesday. - Coach Kyle Shanahan continues to look like he's making progress in his recovery from injuries suffered in a car crash. Shanahan came out to the field at 10:39 today and was again out there for the rest of the session after. He stood in mid-center field for some of it and moved around a bit from there. He also took part in the breakdown at the end before passing it to another successful head coach... - Mike Brown, the NBA champion Knicks' coach, was in attendance and got to break down the huddle at the end. Brown's son, Cameron, is the team's defensive quality control coach. - Alex Smith, the former Niners QB and current ESPN analyst, was also in the house today. - New additions on the injury front: WR Mike Evans (quad strain) and RB Kaelon Black (adductor). They did not participate. WR De'Zhaun Stribling (hamstring tightness) also did not practice again. Saw Evans and Stribling doing some running and work on the side. Both seem to be moving OK. - Also doing work on the side today: WR Christian Kirk (calf) and DT Gracen Halton (knee bone bruise). Also saw CB Jack Jones doing some work on the side though he was in uniform and doing some regular practice things as well. - The other non participants today: S Malik Mustapha (hamstring), RB Jordan James (rib), DL Keion White (adductor), OT Vederian Lowe (ankle), DL Cam Sample (knee). - DT CJ West and EDGE Romello Height (elbow) were back at practice. - DL Mykel Williams and RB Isaac Guerendo continue to get plenty done on the side as well as they work back from PUP list. - Spotted during individual drills: LB Jaden Dugger doing some work with the defensive line group. The Niners liked Dugger's versatility coming out and seem to want to explore all the ways that can be used, though it doesn't hurt that they're short on bodies at that spot right now because of injuries. - With numbers down on the DL, there were no one-on-one pass rush drills today. The Niners did a lot more mixing and matching all over on Monday in general. - The offense and QB Brock Purdy bounced back a bit today despite all the moving parts at wide receiver. Had him at 14-of-21 though there wasn't a lot going down the field. Purdy just missed TE Jake Tonges on a deep ball late in practice and S Ji'Ayir Brown broke up a would-be TD in the red zone for Tonges on a well thrown ball. A nice play by Brown, though. - Speaking of Brown, he had some interesting things to say after practice. He talked openly about how much fun he's having and how Raheem Morris' scheme allows him to play to his strengths (instincts and reading the QB) more than previous one. He has been around the ball a lot in this camp and got his hands on the ball multiple times. A big season for him going into a contract year. - Both corners -- Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green -- were again sticky in coverage today. Even when completions were made, they were right there and both had a PBU or two. - Receiver and edge rusher aren't the only spots hit by injuries. For a team hoping to get RB Christian McCaffrey more breathers, it's not great that the three guys behind him on the depth chart -- James, Black, Guerendo -- aren't on the field. A lot of work for Patrick Taylor and Sincere McCormick right now. - Height flashed his bend and speed off the edge during team. There's little doubt he has some pass rushing chops. I just don't imagine the Niners want him to be a hand in the ground edge in four-down looks that much so much as sprinkling him in there in obvious passing situations and deploying him as the fifth guy when they go five down. Still plenty of time for that to sort, though. - Junior Bergen was drafted to be a returner and landed on the practice squad last year in part because he struggled as a receiver. It looks like he's made some strides in that regard so far in camp. Not saying he'd be in the WR rotation or anything, just noting apparent improvement which would help his cause if can handle return duties. - LB Nick Martin continues to flash his speed too. It seems like for him it's just a matter of harnessing that speed and making the right reads so he doesn't overrun plays. That was something that plagued Dee Winters at times but Martin seems to be finding a groove on when to step on the gas and when to let it come to him a bit more. - The 49ers are off tomorrow. They'll be back at it on Wednesday with back to back practices then before a walk through on Friday. 

Nick's Notes Day 5

- Second day in pads and though there were some good things from the defense, this practice was mostly about how out of sync the offense looked. Missed throws, dropped balls, fumbled snaps, it was overall pretty ugly. 

- Coach Kyle Shanahan had his longest stint on the practice field and even spent part of the final periods in team drills behind the offense, giving feedback in real time rather than standing next to GM John Lynch. A good sign for his progress in addition to running a team meeting this morning. Perhaps not a coincidence he wanted to be back involved as the offense struggled through this one. - The injuries to the roster are accumulating again. Rookie WR De'Zhaun Stribling (hamstring tightness) and edge Romello Height (elbow) and DL Cam Sample (knee) did not practice today. They joined WR Christian Kirk (calf), S Malik Mustapha (hamstring), RB Jordan James (rib), OT Vederian Lowe (ankle) DT Gracen Halton (knee bone bruise) and DT C.J. West as those not participating. - During practice, DL Keion White (adductor) and DL Mikail Kamara (knee) suffered injuries and didn't finish the session. Kamara was taken off on a cart. RB Kaelon Black also appeared to be shaken up, as he participated in early portion of team drills but then didn't take any more reps in the back half of practice or so. - RB Isaac Guerendo, DL Mykel Williams, West and Halton were all doing at least some form of work on the side during practice. Guerendo, in particular, seems to be healing well. - WR Deebo Samuel's first practice back included plenty of work in individual and then limited to about 10 reps in team drills. Samuel looked like he had fresh legs and the Niners got him the ball about four times, including on one connection with QB Brock Purdy over the middle for a big catch and run. It was one of the few highlights of the day for the offense with Deebo drawing loud cheers from the fans each time he touched the ball. - Some notes from one-on-one pass rush drills today: G Dominick Puni has looked excellent so far. The Niners are limiting his reps, perhaps wisely so, but when he steps in, he's been stout. He had a good rep against Osa Odighizuwa and another even better one later against Sebastian Valdez. Worth noting Odighizuwa got Puni back later in team drills for a would-be sack... OT Trent Williams is fine after whatever shot he took in yesterday's practice. He took his one rep today, shutting down Sam Okuayinonu and then resumed side work with DE Nick Bosa... The Niners might have a couple of young DTs worth developing in Bryson Eason and James Thompson Jr. Both had some good reps today and this is the second straight day Thompson has flashed. He has powerful hands and can really deliver a blow. He gave Brett Toth, Carver Willis and Nick Zakelj problems on reps today... Okuayinonu had a nice rush against Enrique Cruz, putting him on skates and moving him into the QB's lap... Think this drill is where White felt the tightness in his adductor. He came up a bit gimpy after a rush against Isaac Alarcon. - On to the offense in team drills. For whatever reason, they just could not seem to find a rhythm this whole practice. They weren't far off but in one sequence QB Brock Purdy overthrew an open Kyle Juszczyk on a deep ball and two plays later did the same to the opposite side for RB Christian McCaffrey. In the next set of reps for the 1s, he was a bit long for Mike Evans (hit his fingertips) and then was too high for Jordan Watkins before hitting Deebo in stride. Again, this is practice and the whole point is to get timing down but it was just one of those days. - The offensive issues weren't limited to Purdy, either. Mac Jones had his share of misfires and there were some drops in there. At one point, there was a botched snap involving Jones too. - The top offense did find the end zone during move the ball drill to end the practice as Purdy found TE Luke Farrell on a deep out that Farrell turned into a touchdown. - On the other side of the coin, there was some good defense being played, too. CB Deommodore Lenoir got his hands on a couple of passes for breakups as did Renardo Green, Jack Jones and Upton Stout. And there was some pressure with Odighizuwa and Okuayinonu showing up the most. It was a challenging day for the defensive line because of all the injuries but those who were able to go battled through and had some production. - Not watching as closely as last year because there's not really a competition there but K Eddy Piñeiro looks to be in midseason form. He hit all of his field goal attempts during special teams, including one that was easily good from 55 yards out. - Speaking of special teams, expect Deebo Samuel to be heavily involved as a kick returner. It's something he's committed to, according to GM John Lynch. Which means he won't just be doing it here and there. It will be part of his overall role. As for how he fits in the offense, that sounds like it will be determined as time goes on. - One note I forgot to mention yesterday (I think): Chris Foerster said the team intends to work Enrique Cruz Jr. at guard at some point. Hadn't heard that yet but interesting given how Cruz profiles from a size and athleticism standpoint. Carver Willis, likewise, is viewed as a guard and center. He's taken reps at both spots in the past couple of practices.  

- That'll do it for today. 49ers are having a walk through that isn't open tomorrow then back to it with a "high" practice on Monday.