The Good and Not So Good from Day 5 of 49ers Training Camp 2023

SANTA CLARA -- Here's who stood out Day 5 of 49ers training camp 2023. Keep in mind, this was the players' first day in pads.

THE GOOD

1. LB Dre Greenlaw.

Intercepted a long throw from Brock Purdy. Greenlaw is one of the most underrated players on the team. He might be the 49ers' best linebacker, although most people give that title to Fred Warner (more on him in a minute). Warner clearly is good in coverage -- he's like a big safety. But Greenlaw is good in coverage, too, plus he's faster, more violent and makes more plays in the backfield than Warner. Which means Greenlaw is more of a linebacker than him. It's time that Greenlaw gets the credit he deserves.

2. WR Jauan Jennings and WR Brandon Aiyuk.

Started a fight with the entire defense right after Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw knocked Elijah Mitchell to the ground following a long run. Defensive players are not supposed to knock teammates to the ground in practice, and yet Warner and Greenlaw do so routinely. And then they talk trash. So someone on the offense has to stand up to them. Last year, it was Aiyuk. Today, it was him and Jennings. I applaud them. Someone has to have Mitchell's back. Unfortunately for Mitchell, the defense knocked him on his butt every time he touched the ball despite the support from Aiyuk and Jennings. I'd love to know what Mitchell did or said to upset the defense so much. To his credit, he seemed completely unfazed.

3. DE Drake Jackson.

Beat right tackle Colton McKivitz for a sack during 11-on-11 team drills. I have a feeling I'm going to write that sentence every day now that the pads are on.

4. DT Javon Kinlaw.

Faced three backups during 1 on 1 pass-rush drills and beat all of them: Joey Fisher, Jon Feliciano and Leroy Watson. Then Kinlaw faced two starters -- Jake Brendel and Spencer Burford -- and lost. Burford in particular knocked down Kinlaw. But he clearly has improved. In the past, he would win zero reps during 1 on 1 drills.

5. LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball.

Blitzed and sacked Sam Darnold during 11 on 11s. If McCrary-Ball makes plays like this during the preseason, he might win a starting job.

6. WR Danny Gray.

Ran two excellent routes -- a dig route and a quick curl on the outside. Both times, Gray caught the ball with his chest, which is not ideal, but at least he hung on. Gray is a good route runner who needs to trust his hands.

THE NOT SO GOOD

1. DE Nick Bosa.

Didn't show up to the first day of practice in pads. Doesn't seem eager to be in camp with his teammates. Probably thinks he can train better alone with his father and brother than he can with the 49ers. Probably thinks he knows more about football than anyone in the organization. Bosa is a great player, but he's not a leader and he should not be captain. He's a mercenary.

2. LB Fred Warner.

Talks a ton of trash on the practice field and frequently crosses the line and hits teammates too hard. And he gets away with this because he's an All Pro who makes a ton of money. But today, he gave up a long touchdown catch to Christian McCaffrey. Simply let McCaffrey run right by him up the seam. After this play, Warner was extremely quiet.

3. TE Cam Latu.

When the 49ers drafted Latu, I assumed he'd be a bad route runner. I was wrong. Today, he faced rookie third-round pick Ji'Ayir Brown during 1-on-1 drills, and destroyed him with an out route. Made Brown run the wrong way. Unfortunately for Latu, he dropped a wide open catch. Later in practice, he fumbled. So he has a lot of room for improvement. But he also has major talent. I was wrong about him.

4. DE Clelin Ferrell.

Hit Brock Purdy's arm and stripped the ball out of his hands near the end of practice. This would have been a great play in a real game. But in practice, players aren't allowed to touch the quarterback. And the fact that Ferrell hit Purdy in his surgically-repaired arm is outrageous. Ferrell could have reinjured Purdy's elbow. What a boneheaded mistake.