Less than 48 hours after their preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans, the San Francisco 49ers were back on the practice field Saturday for Day 12 of Training Camp presented by Visa.
The session marked the team's first practice since Thursday night's 19-13 loss and featured several players returning to action, movement in the competition along the offensive line, and a handful of standout plays on both sides of the ball.
Saturday also marked Military Appreciation Day at the SAP Performance Facility, with service members in attendance as part of the team's Community Corner.
Here are my top observations from Day 12 of 49ers Training Camp:
NEW INJURY/PARTICIPATION UPDATES
- WR Jacob Cowing: Returned after missing the past few practices with a hip flexor strain.
- WR Mike Evans: Returned as a full participant.
- CB Jack Jones: Returned after injuring his hand Thursday vs. Tennessee.
- S Marques Sigle: Returned after dealing with an oblique injury from Thursday.
- QB Kurtis Rourke: Did not participate after exiting Thursday with a rib injury; was present on the sideline watching practice.
Did not practice:
- Several players remained sidelined, including running backs Christian McCaffrey (soreness), Jordan James (rib), and Kaelon Black (adductor), as well as WR Christian Kirk (calf), S Malik Mustapha (hamstring), DL Keion White (adductor), OL Vederian Lowe, FB Kyle Juszczyk (finger), LB Luke Gifford (hamstring), DL Nick Bosa (soreness), Brett Toth (concussion), WR KhaDarel Hodge (undisclosed), CB Nate Hobbs (groin), and LB Dre Greenlaw (soreness).
1. Competition Continues at Left Guard
The competition along the offensive line remained in focus on Saturday, with rookie Carver Willis joining Connor Colby and Robert Jones in the rotation at left guard.
All-Pro tackle Trent Williams confirmed after practice that the position is an open competition between the three offensive linemen.
"It's a three-man race, so may the best man win," Williams said. "They're all playing their butts off."
Williams also spoke about Willis, who is the youngest of the group competing for the spot.
"Carver is the youngest and got a little more to learn, but he has a high ceiling, a lot of potential," Williams said.
Willis returned to practice earlier in the week after spending time in concussion protocol. Saturday gave the rookie another opportunity to work into the rotation as the 49ers continue evaluating the O-line group through the preseason.
2. Young Defensive Front Builds Off Preseason Opener
Thursday night's preseason opener gave several younger defensive players their first opportunity to take NFL game reps, and defensive coordinator Raheem Morris came away encouraged by the group's performance.
After practice, Morris highlighted a number of young defenders following Thursday's game, including defensive linemen Gracen Halton and Romello Height and linebacker Jaden Dugger.
"A lot of our young guys got a chance to go out there and really play well," Morris said. "A bunch of guys got a chance to go out there and really show their first time playing professional football. I was very pleased with how they competed."
Williams also offered praise for Halton, who was part the defense that forced pressure in the second half against Tennessee.
"I love it. He loves football," Williams said. "Anytime you get a player in the locker room that just loves football, it makes the mood lighter... Just to see young guys coming in full of life, super excited to just play ball, I love it. It gives me a breath of fresh air."
That defensive pressure carried into Saturday's practice.
Height created pressure up the middle to force quarterback Brock Purdy to get rid of a pass, while DL C.J. West got his hand on another ball from Purdy at the line of scrimmage. DL Titus Leo also got in a quarterback rush during team work.
The secondary got involved as well. S Jalen Stroman jumped a pass for an interception, while CB Renardo Green nearly came away with a pick of his own, breaking up a Purdy pass.
3. Cowing Returns and Connects on Deep Ball
Cowing returned to team drills Saturday after missing the previous few practices with a hip flexor strain and quickly worked his way back into the game.
One of the biggest offensive plays of practice came late when QB Mac Jones connected with Cowing downfield for a touchdown. The third-year WR added another reception later in the period, going to the ground and securing a sliding catch.
Evans was also back as a full participant and connected with Purdy a few times during team work, including a completion with tight coverage downfield.
In the passing game, Purdy also connected with TE Luke Farrell multiple times, and found WR Trenton Irwin downfield. Quarterback Adrian Martinez saw a few reps and connected with WR Deebo Samuel Sr. for a big gain.
4. Zamir White Gets Involved in First Practice
RB Zamir White took part in his first practice with the 49ers on Saturday and saw plenty of work.
White took multiple handoffs from both Jones and Martinez throughout 11-on-11 work. One of his early carries resulted in a strong run up the middle, and he continued to rotate into the backfield throughout the session.
The addition gives San Francisco another option in a running back room that currently has several players working through injuries.
WHAT'S NEXT
The 49ers will return to the practice field on Sunday before traveling to Southern California for a joint practice with the Los Angeles Chargers ahead of their second preseason matchup.
