49ers camp takeaways: Brown continues to be a nuisance on defense originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
SANTA CLARA – The 49ers held their longest practice of training camp on Saturday in front of a packed house of fans.
The nearly two-hour session included one-on-one matchups between the offensive and defensive lines, as well as wide receivers and defensive backs. The longest segment of the drill was a “move the ball” drill that simulated the offense executing full drives.
Both Christian McCaffrey and Nick Bosa returned from rest days and looked refreshed as they participated in some plays on the field.
Brandon Aiyuk has been located watching the training in the shaded area next to the weight room. Talanoa Hufanga observed the walk that took place before the team’s practices, and Dre Greenlaw was seen kneeling near the sideline watching the 11-on-11 segment, shouting encouraging comments to fellow position Dee Winterswho has stood out in camp.
Here are five takeaways from Day 9 of 49ers training camp:
Brown continues to be a nuisance
Sophomore safety Ji’Ayir Brown picked off quarterback Brock Purdy twice during team practice. An interception occurred during the starting team’s fifth repetition on the field, on a pass intended for rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall. The ball slipped through Pearsall’s fingers and into Brown’s arms.
Brown’s second pick of the day was a pass from Purdy intended for fullback Deebo Samuel, which may have been a minor miscommunication. Even so, the former third-round pick took advantage of the situation and turned the defense around.
All four QBs get reps
Purdy got the majority of snaps at center with the first team, but with a longer practice came more opportunities for Brandon Allen, Josh Dobbs and Tanner Mordecai. Although Purdy had two errant passes that ended up in the hands of the defense, the rest of the day looked productive for the offense.
The 49ers offense got off to another strong start, with McCaffrey getting to the second level on several occasions while the usual suspects were involved in the passing game. Purdy connected with Samuel, Pearsall, George Kittle, Jauan Jennings, Chris Conley, Jordan Mason and Eric Saubert.
RB Backup Competition heating up
McCaffrey is the clear star in the 49ers’ running back room, but Jordan Mason has been pushing for more repetitions on the field. The second-year running back increased his value by becoming a more reliable receiving target after investing in a JUGS machine to train during the off-season.
Mason has gotten everything he can out of being in the room with McCaffrey and has already shown growth through training camp workouts.
“I’m just an angry guy running,” Mason said. “Full steam ahead, trying to get the touchdown and the first downs. That’s how I describe it.”
Defensive line in formation
With the most turnover of any position group, the defensive line has been getting into the backfield and creating a solid challenge for Colton McKivitz and the rest of the offensive line. The right tackle believes the new signings, including Leonard Floyd, Yetur Gross-Matos and Maliek Collins, will improve the offensive line.
“Leonard is as fast as he was in ’21 when I remember playing with him,” McKivitz said. “He is a great challenge with speed. I think one thing that will be a great addition for Nick is some off-limit speed. Beal has improved a lot and Yetur is a great power rusher and will be a great addition.
“Another one to watch is Maliek on the inside. I think he’s been great in the B blocks, he’s been tough on some of our guards. Obviously [Javon] Hargrave was there, but we had some great additions on the defensive line this year.”
Young players getting reps
With efforts to keep the 49ers’ starters fresh, many of the young additions to the team have been getting valuable reps during training camp that normally wouldn’t be an opportunity once the season begins.
Rookie running back Cody Schrader has been seen a lot on the second and third teams on offense, both as a ball carrier and receiver.
Renardo Green and Malik Mustapha have been getting time in defense, along with Dee Winters, who is competing for playing time alongside Fred Warner. Everyone seems to be using each rep to gain experience that will help them when their number is called.
The 49ers will close out the week with what will likely be a shorter session on Sunday before an off day on Monday.
