The San Francisco 49ers wrapped up their third day of training camp on Friday, which had a much different atmosphere than Thursday’s scrimmage-heavy day.
With a number of key players not practicing, the 49ers had a very short practice in what felt more like a reset day before their final practice of the non-padded portion of training camp, which is scheduled for Saturday.
If you missed it, here are my three takeaways from what I saw on day three of training camp.
Now, let’s move on to my notes and observations on what happened on Friday.
CB changes
Starting cornerback Charvarius Ward did not practice Friday, leaving an opening in the first-team defense for younger players to fill.
Isaac Yiadom took over the outside role alongside Deommodore Lenoir in the base package, while the 49ers tried a few different looks in their nickel package.
As was the case Friday, San Francisco initially kicked Lenoir inside, prompting Ambry Thomas to take over with the best defense on the outside opposite Yiadom.
But the 49ers also gave second-round rookie Renardo Green a taste of the top defense, moving him to the slot, which kept Lenoir and Yiadom on the outside in the nickel package.
Yiadom made an early pass breakup on a high ball intended for Deebo Samuel, while having nice coverage on another deep ball later from Brock Purdy that was intended for Ronnie Bell.
With the replacements, the 49ers experimented a lot, but it was the same group of players working inside and out.
Renardo Green and Chase Lucas were the primary nickelbacks on the second and third team defenses, while Thomas, Darrell Luter and Samuel Womack worked the outside at cornerback.
Safeties make plays
Fourth-round rookie Malik Mustapha has been the name of the town early in training camp as the 49ers safety had an interception during Wednesday’s closed-door practice, according to multiple reports.
He then followed up with a pass breakup on Thursday, demonstrating his ability to make plays with the ball.
Well, it was Ji’Ayir Brown’s turn on Friday, as the starting safety recorded an interception on Brock Purdy with a nice hitch.
Purdy intended to throw a deep ball to Deebo Samuel, who appeared to be running toward a corner post, but the ball was slightly overthrown and Brown got a hand on it. Not only was he able to secure the ball, but the safety did a good job of also keeping his feet in bounds near the sidelines for the takeaway.
The safety room is missing a key piece as Talanoa Hufanga recovers from his torn ACL, but the young players are making progress early in training camp, which is a good sign for the 49ers.
Tight End Rotation
George Kittle was among the group that didn’t participate today, allowing the tight end group to get more opportunities Friday.
Eric Saubert got the first crack at the offense, which is indicative of his position on the current depth chart, but I saw a number of different options get reps with the first-team offense, including second-year players Cameron Latu and Brayden Willis.
While it wasn’t a very positive day for the offense, it’s notable that both players get a chance to compete and show their improvements, both as receivers and blockers.
Willis was one of the most active at the position Friday, catching two passes on the day, but they were both on the shorter side. I also noted Logan Thomas with a catch, though the veteran has mostly worked with the reserve units so far.
At this point, it’s unclear how the tight end battle will ultimately play out, but there are several players battling for roster spots behind George Kittle and they all appear up for grabs at the moment.
QB2 Battle
As I shared yesterday in my three takeaways, there appears to be an ongoing battle for the No. 2 quarterback job between Brandon Allen and Josh Dobbs.
On day two, Allen had the edge with a cleaner day, while Dobbs struggled, with the former getting the majority of the No. 2 reps.
Both players continued to compete on Friday and the results were more murky, given that the offense struggled as a whole that day.
But undrafted free agent Tanner Mordecai still hasn’t cracked the rotation much, as the 49ers have dedicated reserve reps to Allen and Dobbs, who rotate between the second- and third-team offenses.
As of now, it appears the 49ers are set on their three quarterbacks, with the depth chart being the biggest question mark at the position group.
RB Competition
Thursday was a fairly balanced day for the running backs, as Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason all alternated between the first- and second-team offenses.
Each player had their different moments, looking fresh and ready to produce this season in their respective roles.
But with McCaffrey sitting out Friday, the top reps were split between Mitchell and Mason, with backups Patrick Taylor Jr. and Cody Schrader getting a few more opportunities than Thursday.
Mason continued to look in fine form, as he started the day with some solid runs on both ends of the pitch.
However, the running game has not had the overall results expected, mainly due to the offensive line’s difficulty maintaining itself on the line of scrimmage. Note, however, that there are still no protections, which makes it difficult to truly evaluate the running game’s performance under normal circumstances.
In addition to some solid runs, Mason caught another Brandon Allen pass from the backfield, even though the quarterback would have been tackled on the play. Being a capable back on passes will be important for Mason if he wants more opportunities, and he’s done his part so far.
Mitchell, meanwhile, had an up-and-down day, largely due to a fumble he committed after catching a ball. Fred Warner fumbled the ball, while Isaac Yiadom was there to recover it, leading to the second turnover of the day after Brock Purdy’s interception.
Mitchell has been extremely reliable throughout his career in ball security, but he did lose the ball once on Friday, which could be something to watch in the running back competition.
While Patrick Taylor Jr. got the majority of third-team reps on Thursday and still had opportunities from the backfield on Friday, we got a better look at undrafted free agent Cody Schrader with the third-team offense on Day 3.
But those opportunities were unlucky, as one of Schrader’s targets in the passing game was an errant throw from Josh Dobbs to the flat. He caught the other, which was a checkdown from Brandon Allen.
Meanwhile, he was caught for a loss in the backfield on one of his primary rushing opportunities by cornerback Kemon Hall as the offensive line was pushed back on the play.
We haven’t really seen what Schrader can do yet, given the depth he has, and it’s unclear if cap space will open up, especially with McCaffrey returning to practice after a day off Friday.