Day 5 of the San Francisco 49ers training camp is officially over, as head coach Kyle Shanahan conducted an intense, scrimmage-filled practice that involved both team drills and move-the-ball periods on the first day of padded practices.
The offense and defense each had their moments, with quarterback Trey Lance having his best practice, while the defense accumulated six sacks on the day.
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Defense
Defensive Line
Javon Kinlaw was the highlight of the day on the defensive line, as he earned a spot on my "standouts" list due to his performance in 1-on-1s, where he looked fresh, utilizing speed, power, and pass-rushing moves to win three reps.
Arik Armstead also looked fresh in a few reps, where his power was clearly there, while his counterpart, Javon Hargrave, enjoyed a successful Day 1 of pads in 1-on-1s as well. Given the limited nature of the top defensive linemen in training camp, it's good to see the duo work well with their opportunities.
On the downside, Clelin Ferrell struggled today, losing all three reps while not really showing much in regard to speed and his pass-rushing moves, but the first-team defensive lineman did force a strip sack of Brock Purdy during 11-on-11s.
Austin Bryant, a player who flashed early in camp, leading to some first-team reps, did not practice for the second consecutive day due to an injury.
Linebackers
Dre Greenlaw had one of the highlights of the day, intercepting Brock Purdy on a poor decision intended for George Kittle, that was one of the biggest plays for the defense.
Fred Warner, on the other hand, displayed his regular energy, but did get beaten by Christian McCaffrey on a route up the seam, which would've likely resulted in a touchdown.
Of the backups, Marcelino McCrary-Ball had a solid start to pads being on, as he was around the ball on a few occasions today, including a play in the flat that resulted in just a one-yard gain.
Like the running backs, there is going to be a training camp battle here at the linebacker position, which will continue to be evaluated as pads are on over the next few days.
Cornerbacks
Charvarius Ward returned to full practice on Monday after missing a few days of team drills, and he was opposite Deommodore Lenoir as the top cornerbacks on the team.
Of the backups, Qwuantrezz Knight had a solid day, breaking up a deep pass from Sam Darnold intended for Deebo Samuel, as well as an intermediate pass over the middle. Knight was seemingly also involved in the fight that broke out during training camp Monday.
Ambry Thomas had another somewhat underwhelming day working in coverage, as he was the closest corner on a few receptions.
Elsewhere, Samuel Womack appeared to injure his leg briefly during a rep against Ray-Ray McCloud in team drills, and I didn't see him out there afterwards, but wasn't sure about whether the injury was anything big.
Lenoir did commit a pass interference on a ball intended for Brandon Aiyuk, getting beaten on a go-route and then running into the receiver on an underthrown ball from Brock Purdy.
After practice, Lenoir mentioned how he needed to improve on defending receivers' releases, as the cornerback believed he let wideouts get behind him too easily, forcing him to play catch-up.
Safeties
Talanoa Hufanga and Tashaun Gipson remain the top safeties, with George Odum sprinkled in with the first-team defense when the veteran was resting.
Odum had a nice play, delivering a hit to Elijah Mitchell on a run, although it didn't appear the offense was too happy with it, despite pads being on.
Safeties-wise, there hasn't been too much flash; Ji'Ayir Brown has consistently run with the second-team defense with Odum, while the third-team safeties haven't really separated themselves.
At the moment, it appears four safeties is the vibe for this group, although changes could be made with a surprise flash over the next week to finish training camp.
- Rohan Chakravarthi
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Written by:Writer/Reporter for 49ers Webzone
