The San Francisco 49ers began training camp for their 2021 NFL season on July 28, 2021. Today marked the completion of Day 13, one of the final days of practice open to fans and the media. As the 49ers have their first preseason game this Saturday, August 14th, I thought I would share my thoughts on who has stood out in camp so far, as well as storylines that could play a big role this season for the 49ers.
The offense is GOING to evolve this season, and Trey Lance is the key.
While Jimmy Garoppolo is still the starter (for now), Trey Lance is the future. How will this offense be different from the Jimmy Garoppolo offense we have seen the past two years? Here are a few ideas:
- More deep passes
- More diversity to an already diverse run game
Over the past two years, we have seen very few deep throws from Garoppolo, who often opts for the short and intermediate throws over the middle of the field. This is going to change very soon, as rookie QB Trey Lance possesses physical skills that Garoppolo cannot match. Through 13 days of training camp, Lance has consistently hit deep throws to several players including Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and Trent Sherfield (surprise). One of the highlights of camp came as Lance rolled to his left and unleashed a 50-yard bomb for a TD to Sherfield.
The 49ers are known for being a run-first team. In what is essentially a positionless offense, defenses must prepare for anybody to run the ball. Their ability to hand the ball off to Raheem Mostert, Kyle Juszczyk, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, or Brandon Aiyuk to name a few, makes this running game one of the most diverse in the NFL. However, one aspect has still been missing from this diverse attack: a mobile quarterback. This is where we will see a big evolution in the 49ers offense. The 49ers have practiced zone-reads and designed QB runs with Lance, which indicates that we will see them during the season. This just gives the 49ers another weapon to use in the run game, and another aspect of the offense for defenses to account for.
One thing to be on the lookout for is how Kyle Shanahan decides to mesh the run and the pass game together. An even more diversified rushing attack can potentially lead to more exotic formations. The versatility of the offensive personnel can lead to the same pass concept being executed by different personnel groupings, etc.. It’s going to be exciting.
The wide receivers are looking better than ever.
Brandon Aiyuk is looking like a stud. In 12 games last year, Aiyuk hauled in 60 catches and proved himself as a capable WR1. For those who were wondering what he would look like in year 2, look no further than his training camp performances over these past two weeks. Going up against the 1st string defense, Aiyuk has been flying around catching passes all over the field, looking like a true WR1. Additionally, Aiyuk has managed to stay healthy this entire training camp, which is a good sign for the team going forward. Deebo Samuel, who is penciled in as WR2 has come into camp in the best shape of his life. Samuel has shown that he is not just a gadget player, aka a glorified running back, who can run end arounds and catch passes over the middle. He has caught several deep throws from Lance and shown that he is a true wide receiver who can also run the ball. Like Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel has also stayed relatively healthy in camp, which is promising given his injury history.
The right side of the offensive line is still a question mark.
After realizing how shambolic the right side of the offensive line played in 2020, the 49ers front office made a concerted effort to remedy this issue in the offseason. Unfortunately, things may not be going exactly as they planned. The 49ers drafted guard Aaron Banks out of Notre Dame in the 2nd round of the 2021 NFL Draft with the hope that he would solidify the right guard spot in training camp. However, Banks hasn’t yet lived up to those expectations, as he is still mostly playing with the 2nd string offensive line. First string right guard Daniel Brunskill hasn’t looked the best either, having a few good days in camp, but struggling on others. Furthermore, starting right tackle Mike McGlinchey looks like he added a few pounds this offseason, yet his struggles in pass protection continue, as he was seen getting beat by Dee Ford and others in pass protection during camp. While the 49ers offensive line has the ability to dominate when run blocking this season, pass protection will be a concern to keep an eye on, especially with an injury prone QB and a rookie QB slated to line up under center this season.
What will the defensive line look like?
Just two seasons ago, the 49ers had a star studded defensive line and the best pass rush in the NFL. Two seasons later, and many of those players are still here, but there remain questions about what the defensive line will look like. Injuries and lack of consistent play are a big reason why. DE Nick Bosa, the most talented player on the team, hasn’t participated in any team drills this camp after coming off of an ACL injury. DE Dee Ford, who is a top player at his position when healthy, returned to practice in a limited fashion after being sidelined for much of the last two years with back and neck injuries. Arik Armstead, the most expensive player on the defensive line, amassed a whopping 3.5 sacks in 2020 after reaching double digits in 2019. 2020 1st round pick Javon Kinlaw has been in and out of drills, tending to a knee injury. Free agent signee Samson Ebukam has missed the last week and a half of practice with a lower leg injury. Kentavius Street and D.J Jones have been the best performers along the defensive line in camp so far. While this is normally good news, Street and Jones are former 4th and 6th round picks, respectively. Ideally, the 49ers would want their 1st rounders Bosa, Ford, Kinlaw, and Armstead to be the best performers in camp, with Street and Jones being quality depth pieces. The 49ers’ success on defense is predicated off of good defensive line play, so the health of players like Bosa and Ford will be something to keep an eye on.
What will the secondary look like?
The 49ers secondary has a theme: at surface level, it is good, but take a deeper look and issues loom large. Even with Jaquiski Tartt out for the forseeable future, seeing a secondary with Jason Verrett, Emmanuel Moseley, Tavon Wilson, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, and Jimmie Ward would elicit a positive reaction from the average fan. The problem appears when you look at the depth in the secondary. While Jason Verrett has been lights out in training camp, he has an extensive injury history. Should Verrett get injured, the 49ers “next man up” at outside corner would be rookie 4th round pick Ambry Thomas. In a division with DeAndre Hopkins, D.K. Metcalf, A.J. Green, Robert Woods, and Cooper Kupp, having to play Moseley and a rookie as your two starting corners is a recipe for disaster. The 49ers already lost free safety Tarvarius Moore to an achilles injury earlier this offseason, so should Jimmie Ward get injured, who will play free safety? While he has shown the ability to be a very talented NFL safety, how good can Ha Ha Clinton-Dix still be after taking last season off? How ready to play is rookie 5th round pick Talanoa Hufanga, who also has an injury history? These are all questions that the 49ers defensive coaching staff will need to answer.
Surprises and setbacks
Wide receiver Trent Sherfield has been one of the biggest, if not the biggest, surprises of camp so far. Originally signed away from the Arizona Cardinals as a player who would contribute significantly on special teams, Sherfield has forced his way into Kyle Shanahan’s plans at wide receiver. He caught the eyes of most fans after catching a 50 yard TD pass from Trey Lance at the beginning of camp, and has consistently made plays as a receiver. Expect him to be a quality #4 wide receiver after Aiyuk, Samuel, and Sanu. Defensive lineman Kentavius Street, who the 49ers drafted in the 4th round, has been playing exceptional football in camp so far. He has consistently been seen making plays in the backfield against the 1st string offensive line. Even with star players like Nick Bosa and Dee Ford on track to return for Week 1 of the regular season, expect Street to have a sizable contribution on defense this year. Wide receiver Jalen Hurd has suffered multiple injury setbacks, and they will most likely result in him not making the final roster. Hurd, like most of the other skill position players on the 49ers offense, possesses versatility. However, after catching two TD passes in the first preseason game two years ago, Hurd has not played in a single game due to injuries. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said in an interview that Hurd is running out of time to make the team, and his chances will only be lowered given that he will not be playing in the first preseason game this Saturday against the Chiefs.
This concludes my thoughts on the San Francisco 49ers after the first 13 days of training camp. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!