49ers Rookies Show out in 17-7 Win Against the Vikings
Well that game was a tough watch.
If you managed to stay awake or interested in this preseason matchup between the 49ers and Vikings, then congratulations are in order. By the time it was halftime, the score was only 6-7 in favor of the Vikings. None of the starters from the 49ers saw any playing time aside from the two offensive guards. It makes sense why the game played out the way it did.
Still, as boring as this game was, there were some positive gains from it. One of them that stood out the most were the performances from the rookies. The 49ers rookies showed out well in the win/loss to the Vikings.
For starters, Samuel Womack III is the truth. Without a doubt he is the starting slot corner on the defense. He has showcased two out of three facets that the Niners value heavily from their nickel corner. They want sticky coverage of course, but right after that they want someone who can be an effective blitzer and defend the run well. Today he showed he can be an efficient blitzer, so the 49ers have a guy they can easily work him and get better over time.
Next up is Drake Jackson, who I am sure will have five to seven sacks this year. He is poised to look like an absolute steal by the 49ers as a fringe second-round draft pick. The impact he can have looks like it will be felt immediately when the regular season starts and will only get better the more he plays.
Speaking of improvement from playing time, how about Brock Purdy? The guy looked like he had a noodle arm in training camp the couple times I attended. But against the Vikings and Packers, he looked pretty solid considering he is the "Mr. Irrelevant" pick.
Other players who looked decent were Danny Gray, Spencer Burford, and even Tariq Castro-Fields. Gray looks like the perfect deep threat for the offense, Burford continues to cement himself as a solid starting guard, and Castro-Fields looks like is improving with each passing week. There is a ton to like about this rookie class from the 49ers. Just Womack, Burford, Gray, and Jackson alone makes this class look superb as they all are poised to be key contributors this year.
Lastly, Ty Davis-Price is starting to dwindle as the weeks go by. The first game against the Packers was underwhelming and this game started out no better. Davis-Price, who is supposed to be the bruiser back, bounced out a couple of runs unnecessarily. The most egregious was on fourth-and-1 play where he tried to run to the outside left and got dropped by a defensive back. Not a good look.
This game could've easily snowballed for Davis-Price but he turned it around in the second-half with a couple of sweet downhill runs. THAT is how he should be running. It's why the 49ers drafted him. All he needs is to continue that and quit bouncing it out so quickly. If he can play to his strengths, then this 2022 draft class from the 49ers could be their best.
Davis-Price will get one last preseason action to increase his stock. All of these rookies will get one more chance against the Texans on Thursday to increase their stock. Given the way they have mostly looked this preseason, I'd say that these players I have mentioned will only enhance their roles with some solid outings once again.
