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.