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The San Francisco 49ers on Wednesday wrapped up their first set of training camp practices. When they take the practice field again Friday there'll be pads on, the reps will be live, and the rookies will get an opportunity to take another step in their hunt for playing time in their rookie seasons.
Four 49ers rookies had notable performances in the non-padded portion of training camp. Pads coming on is the real turning point in the offseason, though. Physicality is king in football and the ability to thrive in the environment where hits are coming is the ultimate decider in a rookie's NFL fate.
Here are the four 49ers rookies who stood out in the first part of camp, and what lies ahead when the reps are real:
Stribling had the spotlight on him even before Ricky Pearsall had a knee injury crop up. The second-round pick was lauded for his size, strength and ease of movement. He's also gotten credit for his willingness to stick his nose in as a blocker. Now he'll have to maintain that physical mindset to continue pushing his way into a potential WR2 role that will be open as long as Pearsall is on the sidelines.
Cramps cost Height the end of one unpadded practice, but his early production in practice stood out to veteran defensive end Nick Bosa. Defensive linemen are some of the hardest players to evaluate when pads aren't on because offensive linemen aren't as physical with no pads on. Height will be a player we're watching closely starting Friday to see how he fares as an undersized pass rusher. If he stands out when the pads come on it'll be a significant reason for optimism on the third-round pick being a productive player in Year 1.
There was already going to be an opportunity for Black to sneak ahead of Jordan James on the running back depth chart behind Christian McCaffrey, but fractured ribs could cost James some time and open the door for Black to take the lead in one of the 49ers' most high-profile position battles. ESPN's Nick Wagoner on Wednesday noted that Black has been impressive without pads on. The pads coming on will be big for the third-round pick who could quickly make a name for himself if he continues standing out when the hits are real.
One of the injuries that didn't receive a lot of attention happened early in training camp when Vederian Lowe went down with a high ankle sprain. That opened the door for Cruz, a fifth-round pick, to step into a larger role on the reserve groups. Onffensive line coach and acting head coach Chris Foerster gave Cruz some high praise very early in camp, which bodes well for the rookie's immediate future.
"Yeah, Enrique's been a real plus," Foerster said. "Everybody in the building's pleased with him. People come up out of nowhere from all over the building and say, 'Gosh, that Enrique's doing a really nice job.' He's really professional, really working on it. He has a learning curve, like all the young guys do. He's got a long way to go, but he's done all the right things to this point."
Offensive linemen are another group where pads can make or break a player's season, so we'll be keeping a close eye on Cruz to see if he can play his way into a reserve role on this year's O-line.
More 49ers: Nick Bosa has blunt response to Joey Bosa potentially joining 49ers
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Stock up on 4 49ers draft picks after 1st set of camp practices
Continue reading...
Four 49ers rookies had notable performances in the non-padded portion of training camp. Pads coming on is the real turning point in the offseason, though. Physicality is king in football and the ability to thrive in the environment where hits are coming is the ultimate decider in a rookie's NFL fate.
Here are the four 49ers rookies who stood out in the first part of camp, and what lies ahead when the reps are real:
WR De'Zhaun Stribling
Stribling had the spotlight on him even before Ricky Pearsall had a knee injury crop up. The second-round pick was lauded for his size, strength and ease of movement. He's also gotten credit for his willingness to stick his nose in as a blocker. Now he'll have to maintain that physical mindset to continue pushing his way into a potential WR2 role that will be open as long as Pearsall is on the sidelines.
DE Romello Height
Cramps cost Height the end of one unpadded practice, but his early production in practice stood out to veteran defensive end Nick Bosa. Defensive linemen are some of the hardest players to evaluate when pads aren't on because offensive linemen aren't as physical with no pads on. Height will be a player we're watching closely starting Friday to see how he fares as an undersized pass rusher. If he stands out when the pads come on it'll be a significant reason for optimism on the third-round pick being a productive player in Year 1.
RB Kaelon Black
There was already going to be an opportunity for Black to sneak ahead of Jordan James on the running back depth chart behind Christian McCaffrey, but fractured ribs could cost James some time and open the door for Black to take the lead in one of the 49ers' most high-profile position battles. ESPN's Nick Wagoner on Wednesday noted that Black has been impressive without pads on. The pads coming on will be big for the third-round pick who could quickly make a name for himself if he continues standing out when the hits are real.
OL Enrique Cruz
One of the injuries that didn't receive a lot of attention happened early in training camp when Vederian Lowe went down with a high ankle sprain. That opened the door for Cruz, a fifth-round pick, to step into a larger role on the reserve groups. Onffensive line coach and acting head coach Chris Foerster gave Cruz some high praise very early in camp, which bodes well for the rookie's immediate future.
"Yeah, Enrique's been a real plus," Foerster said. "Everybody in the building's pleased with him. People come up out of nowhere from all over the building and say, 'Gosh, that Enrique's doing a really nice job.' He's really professional, really working on it. He has a learning curve, like all the young guys do. He's got a long way to go, but he's done all the right things to this point."
Offensive linemen are another group where pads can make or break a player's season, so we'll be keeping a close eye on Cruz to see if he can play his way into a reserve role on this year's O-line.
More 49ers: Nick Bosa has blunt response to Joey Bosa potentially joining 49ers
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Stock up on 4 49ers draft picks after 1st set of camp practices
Continue reading...
