49ers’ big — and big-bodied — rookie D-linemen draw a crowd at training camp

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SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The main draw at the San Francisco 49ers’ first day of training camp seemed to be the defensive line, perhaps because it featured all three big-bodied draft picks for the first time this year.

Alfred Collins was on hand. The second-round pick missed the spring sessions with a calf injury but stood out on Wednesday due to his massive size. Despite his 6-foot-5, 332-pound frame, the 49ers envision him utilizing his speed and explosion in the three-technique spot Javon Hargrave played the last two seasons. Collins lined up there with the second-team unit on Wednesday.

Mykel Williams was back on the field, too, after missing a portion of the spring with a hamstring strain. The team’s first-round pick mostly played defensive end with the first team, though he moved inside to defensive tackle on obvious passing downs.

“He has a big reach,” Nick Bosa said of Williams. “So I just think he needs to home in — obviously, it’s his first day — on his aiming points and trusting the system. I think him and Alfred are coming from different styles. But both of them have immense talent. So it should be pretty fun to watch them.”

Along with fourth-round pick C.J. West, the rookies helped create an impressive visual that prompted the team’s top scout, vice president of player personnel Tariq Ahmad, as well as assistant head coach Gus Bradley to stroll over and watch the defensive line go through individual drills. The only lineman who wasn’t present was Yetur Gross-Matos, who’s recovering from a knee issue.

“I like the group. I think they have a lot of talent,” Bosa said. “I think when you look at them, you see NFL bodies out there that look impressive, which is a good thing.”

A year ago, Bosa had two linemates — Hargrave and Leonard Floyd — who were in their 30s and another, Maliek Collins, who was 29. Now Bosa, 27, is the elder statesman of the group.

“We’re young,” he said. “But just because nobody knows them now, if they play good a couple of games, then the whole world knows them. So it’s pretty exciting.”

Odds and ends

• There was one injury coming out of Day 1. Receiver Jacob Cowing, who was coming off a strong spring, pulled a hamstring early on and did not continue. Meanwhile, fellow second-year receiver Ricky Pearsall (hamstring) worked out on a side field, including catching passes. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Pearsall, who was injured in the spring, has hit all the speed parameters required for him to return to practice and that the team is being cautious. He expects Pearsall back for Sunday’s practice.

As was the case in the spring, tackle Trent Williams took part in individual drills but not team situations. Spencer Burford filled in at left tackle. Shanahan said the team has various practice plans for players who are on the older side, like Williams, or for players like Christian McCaffrey who are coming off injury-plagued seasons. McCaffrey also went through individual drills but gave way to Isaac Guerendo in 11-on-11 situations.

• The most prolific receivers on Wednesday: veterans Jauan Jennings and Demarcus Robinson. As expected, Jennings was on the field for the start of the session and practiced throughout. Which is to say, he’s not engaging in the sort of “hold-in” Brandon Aiyuk waged last year when he was seeking a contract extension.

Jennings caught three passes, including one in heavy traffic from Brock Purdy. Robinson, meanwhile, also caught three passes — two from Purdy and one from backup Mac Jones.

• The 49ers’ offense began team drills with a surprise, a corner-route throw from Purdy to George Kittle that resulted in a long gain down the right sideline. Kittle later said the play is designed to go to Jennings. But when cornerback Deommodore Lenoir dropped Kittle in coverage, it became a wide-open throw to the tight end. Safety Ji’Ayir Brown had to force Kittle out of bounds after a long gain.

“Shout out to Demo for dropping me,” Kittle said while pointing skyward. “Thank you, Demo!”

• Ji’Ayir Brown was back in the starting lineup after missing OTAs due to an ankle procedure. He paired with Jason Pinnock at safety with the first-team defense. Pinnock, who looked good in the spring, had a diving interception when Purdy’s deep-ball attempt was batted at the line, creating a pop-fly situation. Meanwhile, fifth-round pick Marques Sigle, who was an observer during the spring, lined up with the second-team group alongside Richie Grant.

• Linebacker Dee Winters picked up where he left off in the spring when he was one of the most impressive players on the field. Winters, who will try to hold off rookie Nick Martin for the weakside linebacker role, broke on a short pass from Purdy, intercepted it and was off to the races. Winters is easily the team’s fastest linebacker, and his speed has been far more noticeable this year as his confidence has grown.

“I think the quarterback just missed (Winters),” Shanahan said. “He was right in the zone reading his eyes, and he got right under it. The quarterback should have turned it down, but got a little bit aggressive with it.”

• Two rookies took snaps with the first-team defense. Mykel Williams lined up at defensive end while third-round pick Upton Stout got occasional snaps at nickel cornerback with the top group. Stout is competing with veteran Tre Brown to be the team’s No. 3 cornerback this year. Brown, Stout, Chase Lucas and undrafted rookie Jakob Robinson played nickel cornerback at various points in practice.

Shanahan noted that Stout nearly intercepted Jones at the sideline on a pass that instead turned into a catch for Russell Gage Jr.

“He almost made a hell of a play today,” Shanahan said of Stout. “I thought he had a pick-six, just mistimed it and actually gave up the completion. But it was really good coverage. But I was real excited with him in OTAs and he is one of the guys where I think he’s got a chance to compete to help us throughout this training camp and into the season.”

• Special teams coordinator Brant Boyer added a little spice to the 49ers’ kicking competition. Instead of having Jake Moody and Greg Joseph kick on separate days like they did in the spring, he had them alternate attempts during a special teams session on Wednesday. Both made all four kicks, which became progressively longer. Shanahan said he’s been pleased with the competition so far, noting that there was only one field-goal miss — by Moody — during the spring.

The competition caught the eyes of even the non-special teamers.

“I actually am paying attention, I can’t lie,” Bosa said. “It’s exciting.”

• The 49ers practiced on their newly configured fields, which now run east and west instead of the north-south setup they’ve had for decades. Because the team took out its artificial surface field, the new main practice field stretches 165 yards with a permanent goal post on one end. A second field to the south is a little less than 100 yards.

Shanahan said the new configuration will take some getting used to.

“It was the first time it was different for me in nine years, so I felt nauseous out there,” he said. “I was dizzy the whole time. We’re creatures of habit. I’ve stood in the same place (in the past). I didn’t know where to go today. But we’ll get used to it. We could rotate it. The cool thing is it’s the first time we got a full 120-yard field and got our first field goal (posts) in there that’s stationary. So a lot more room, which is nicer, but it’s a work in progress. I’m trying to not change everything after one day, so we’re going to give it three days and see what to do next.”

 

• Guard Ben Bartch (quadriceps) worked out on the side and, like Pearsall, it doesn’t appear he’ll be out long. Nick Zakelj filled in at left guard with the first-team offense. Rookie Connor Colby was at left guard with the second-team unit.

• The players who took turns at kick returner: rookies Jordan Watkins and Junior Bergen, Guerendo and Patrick Taylor Jr.

• Newcomer Luke Gifford lined up at strongside linebacker — next to Winters and Fred Warner — with the first-team defense. Martin played the weakside spot with the second teamers.

• For the second time this offseason, defensive tackle Evan Anderson changed numbers. Anderson, who was No. 69 as a rookie, was No. 55 in the spring and is now No. 58. He also looks noticeably slimmer than he was a year ago.

(Photo of Alfred Collins: Matthew Huang / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)




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