The Good and Not So Good from Day 1 of Minicamp
SANTA CLARA -- Here's who stood out on Day 1 of San Francisco 49ers. Keep in mind, I broke down the quarterbacks here.
THE GOOD
1. Wide receiver Danny Gray.
Dropped his first target of the day after running a beautiful slant route at the goal line and beating Deommodore Lenoir (more on him in a minute). Gray tried to catch the ball with his body and let it bounce off his chest. After that play, he was outstanding. He made a one-handed catch in the end zone surrounded by three defenders. He was ruled out of bounds, but it still was an impressive catch, because Gray isn't known for his hand-eye coordination. Later on 3rd and 8, he beat Lenoir with a shallow crossing route and picked up 15 yards. Finally, on 3rd and 8 once again, Gray caught a 25-yard pass near the right sideline, then cut across the width of the field and ran for a 70-yard touchdown. Good to see Gray finally make some plays in practice. He clearly is bigger and stronger than last year.
2. Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave.
Didn't participate in team drills, but went through warmups with the defensive linemen for the first time as a member of the 49ers. And after one practice, it's clear that Hargrave has the thickest legs I've ever seen.
3. Running back Jordan Mason.
Ran a quick flat route in the red zone and beat linebacker Dee Winters, who runs a 4.49, to the pylon for a touchdown catch. I don't know who started the myth that Mason is a poor receiver, but it's bologna. He's a complete running back.
4. Linebacker Oren Burks.
Broke up two of Sam Darnold's passes during 11-on-11 team drills. Burks seems like the leading candidate to replace Azeez Al-Shaair at strongside linebacker.
5. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
Caught a touchdown pass in the red zone and made a 30-yard grab up the sideline, and both times he seemed like he was barely trying. Aiyuk is toying with the 49ers cornerbacks this offseason. I can't wait to watch him face Charvarius Ward, who hasn't practiced in front of the media yet.
6. Defensive back D'Shawn Jamison.
The undrafted rookie from Texas broke up a pass from Brandon Allen that was intended for Ronnie Bell. Jamison's play saved a touchdown.
7. Cornerback Samuel Womack.
Started at left cornerback in place of Charvarius Ward, got targeted three times and gave up zero catches. His coverage was excellent.
8. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
Didn't practice in team drills, but warmed up with the wide receivers. And after practice, Samuel spoke to the media and admitted that he was out of shape last year. He even said he played awfully, which is true. Kudos to Samuel for admitting it and learning from his mistake. He looks much more fit and motivated this year.
THE NOT SO GOOD
1. Kicker Jake Moody.
Hooked a 38-yard field goal attempt from the right hash wide left. To be fair, Moody kicked the ball extremely far -- he just missed the uprights by a healthy margin. It looked like a classic Sebastian Janikowski miss. A few minutes later, he kicked a line-drive 43-yard field goal that somehow went through the uprights and didn't get blocked. I already can tell the Jake Moody Experience will be a bumpy ride.
2. Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir.
Got absolutely shredded all morning. Gave up what should have been a touchdown catch in the red zone to Danny Gray, who dropped the ball. Dropped a gimme interception. Gave up a 30-yard catch to Brandon Aiyuk. And then gave up a 10-yard catch to Gray on 3rd and 8. Lenoir is terrible in press man-to-man coverage. He needs to play soft zone coverage, or he'll get torched like today.
3. Running back Elijah Mitchell.
Didn't practice. Apparently, he suffered an injury during the first week of OTAs, which is incredibly discouraging for a player who can't stay healthy for more than a couple months at a time. If he misses more time, Jordan Mason could pass him on the depth chart.
4. Cornerback Ambry Thomas.
Gave up a touchdown catch to Brandon Aiyuk in the end zone. Thomas was more than five yards away from the ball when it was caught, which is typical for him.
