Summarizing Day 1 of training camp: Quick hitters and analysis on players returning, competition, and a 2nd year star.
Brandon Aiyuk could ascend to another level in his sophomore season.
Assorted observations and injury updates
NO REPORTED INJURIES!
Nick Bosa was wearing a compression sleeve on his left knee, obviously the one which he sustained an ACL tear in Week 2 of last year. Bosa is being eased into practice. Bosa looked to be slightly slimmer, perhaps to lessen the load on his knees.
Javon Kinlaw was also wearing a full leg compression sleeve on his right leg. Paired with the news that this was due to a setback suffered on vacation (??), Kinlaw’s injury history isn’t something to push aside. This is a guy that missed most of the Senior Bowl because of knee tendinitis, a guy that missed the combine because of knee tendinitis, a guy that missed the end of this season because of a “knee issue” which required a routine clean-up. This development is not good, and it doesn’t help that Kinlaw cannot afford to miss snaps in a crucial sophomore season.
Daniel Brunskill got the nod at the first-team right guard spot, a spot that many penciled Aaron Banks in.
Trey Sermon also got most of the first-team reps at RB, and although he reportedly had a rough day, as expected for a rookie, it’s clear that Kyle Shanahan trusts his highly touted RB. The 49ers are trying to lessen the load on Raheem Mostert during the offseason.
Jalen Hurd was on the field, and looked healthy, albeit also being eased in.
Dee Ford was also on the field, doing workouts and drills in a limited fashion along with Bosa as mentioned earlier. Ford was not wearing any noticeable brace or compression sleeve, at least one that could be noticed from an outsider.
No knee brace on Jimmy Garoppolo, which was expected but remains a positive.
Emmanuel Moseley, Jaquiski Tartt, and Jauan Jennings were all placed on the COVID-19/Reserve list ahead of camp. This is not good - Jennings was expected to be a core competitor for the WR3 spot, and depending on his symptoms as well as his vaccination status, will suffer greatly from not being able to compete from the get-go. Tartt was expected to miss the start due to a toe injury anyways, so there isn’t much of an issue there - and Tartt likely has the starting SS position on lock, barring a Tavon Wilson late career resurgence, or Talanoa Hufanga showing out as a rookie. Moseley being out stings for a defense that needs reps together under DeMeco Ryans, but a silver lining is that it gives opportunities to guys like Ambry Thomas, Deommodore Lenoir, and Tim Harris Jr, the latter of whom filled in with the 1st stringers today.
The 49ers reached above 90% vaccination rate, and 100% vaccination rate among coaching staff.
Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance showing out
Garoppolo and Lance both had strong days. Garoppolo completed 9 of 11 passes during seven on seven drills and eleven on eleven drills, including an impressive throw to Brandon Aiyuk coming while rolling right. Garoppolo has seldom used his legs post-ACL injury, so seeing Garoppolo make an off-platform throw downfield is a welcome sight - and maybe the first sign that Trey Lance, whether Garoppolo cares to admit or not, is already pushing the veteran QB. Garoppolo also fired another dart to Aiyuk later, albeit a little high, which Aiyuk brought in. Aiyuk was dominant, leading all receivers in receptions and making multiple tough catches. More on that later. Garoppolo also made a tough throw under pressure from Fred Warner, hitting Trent Sherfield.
Meanwhile, the rook, starting off with the 2nd string as was expected, showed out as well. Lance had multiple deep bombs, one being a sideline ball delivered well to George Kittle, who makes a good catch over the outstretched arms of Kai Nacua. Notice that the ball reaches its target before Ambry Thomas, fellow rookie, can reach the sideline. This is exactly what you want to see.
He also delivered a “perfect” ball to Deebo Samuel on a go route deep downfield - according to Deebo Samuel himself, who got a step on Dontae Johnson, and similarly placed the ball between a corner and safety. Again, that’s exactly what you want to see - aggressiveness and measure at the same time. Lance finished 8 of 10 on the day, and had multiple big plays.
Lance didn’t go without some rookie mistakes, as Shanahan noted that the 2nd and 3rd string (so the new faces in the QB room, not just Lance) had some early trouble with cadences. However, Lance seemed to learn from his mistakes, drawing the DL offside with a hard count and taking a deep shot on a free play, one that was incomplete. Either way, it’s another example of Lance’s football IQ coming into play. Quick to learn and quick to diagnose.
Brandon Aiyuk dominating the competition
Aiyuk was everywhere, routinely making tough, acrobatic catches. He caught 5 passes and made it look easy, leading all receivers. Aiyuk also worked with the returners, a sign that Aiyuk may be allowed to return punts this year, bringing an explosive ability to the returner room that has lacked since the days of Ted Ginn Jr.
Aiyuk is the WR1 on this roster. While Deebo Samuel is extremely talented, Samuel isn’t as complete of a WR as Aiyuk, who seems to be adding something new to his game every time we see him. Aiyuk’s rookie season runs circles around Samuel’s, despite both not playing a full season - and Samuel had a healthy Garoppolo throwing to him. Aiyuk had an assortment of below average quarterback play.
Aiyuk possesses every trait required to be a superstar in this league; catching, route-running, athleticism, length, release at the LOS, yards after the catch. Although he has fallen off as of recent, Odell Beckham Jr was my comparison for Aiyuk, and I truly believe he can reach the same peaks that Beckham did - do not let the present change the past, Beckham was utterly dominant early on in his career, before injuries and other issues began to plague him.
Again, to present a comparison in tangible form, Beckham vs. Aiyuk physically:
40 yard dash: 4.43 vs. 4.50 (Aiyuk was injured)
10 yard split: 1.57 vs. 1.57
Height: 5 feet, 11.25 inches vs. 5 feet, 11.63 inches
Weight: 198 pounds vs. 205 pounds
Hand Size: 10 inches vs. 9.75 inches
Arm Size: 32.75 inches vs. 33.5 inches
Vertical Jump: 38.5 inches vs. 40 inches
Broad Jump: 10 feet 2 inches vs. 10 feet 8 inches
Bench Press: 7 reps vs. 11 reps
Playstyle wise, there’s no question that Beckham and Aiyuk resemble each other. Aiyuk has the same elite catch radius paired with ball-tracking ability, explosiveness after the catch, and as mentioned last offseason, they even run similarly. Aiyuk mentioned Beckham as a player he models his game after, and knowing how much Shanahan likes Beckham as a player as well, it should excite all 49ers fans seeing Aiyuk’s performance last season, and strong start this season.
What to watch for in the 2nd day of training camp?
Consistency. Who can build on performances, who fizzles out, who bounces back. Training camp is not to be taken lightly, this is how depth charts are formed, this is how rosters are decided, this is how championships are won - depth is key to this. The 49ers were so good in 2019 not because they were top heavy, but because they had the best depth in the league at multiple positions. Taking something from another Bay Area team, you need strength in numbers.
Lance and Garoppolo are obviously again, the focal points. But keep an eye on the WRs. Sanu has looked outstanding according to anyone and everyone, but who else can step up? Former 1st round pick Kevin White was a guy that reportedly looked good today, as did Richie James Jr. Travis Benjamin also had a big catch.
Another position: EDGE. Although Ford and Bosa are playing right now, we don’t know how they will progress to gameday, and the 49ers play their reserve DL quite a bit anyways. Right now, at the rotational pass rusher spots, Samson Ebukam and Arden Key seem to be the clear candidates, though when Jordan Willis returns later in the season, he could also get some of those snaps.
Finally, cornerback. Tim Harris Jr had a rough practice, so it will be interesting to see if the 49ers let Ambry Thomas get his feet wet with the starters, at least while Moseley remains out.
That summarizes an otherwise uneventful and short first day of training camp. Day 2 summary - later today.
Fun to watch the guys play. What are the rules for tackling? Aiyuk spun out of a two handed “tackle” and kept going. Is this not two hand touch?