SANTA CLARA – Here are the players who stood out on Day 18 of the 49ers’ training camp. Keep in mind that the team played two days ago, so practice lasted only an hour and most of the substitutes did not participate in the 11-on-11 team drills.
THE GOOD
1. Quarterback Brock Purdy
Rebounded from a rough preseason outing to complete 13 of 16 passes, including a 60-yard touchdown pass to Robbie Chosen. That throw was Purdy’s best in training camp by far. Chosen was a step ahead of Deommodore Lenoir and Purdy threw the ball on the run where only Chosen could catch it. Purdy has improved his long ball since his rookie season. He gets a lot more air under it these days.
2. WR Robbie selected
He caught his second pass of training camp and threw it 55 yards over offseason MVP Deommodore Lenoir. That means Chosen might still have some gas left in the tank. I haven’t seen anyone else on the team beat Lenoir up like that in training camp. The only other player on the team who could do that is Brandon Aiyuk.
3. RB Isaac Guerendo
Finally back in practice after missing most of training camp with a strained hamstring. Played a lot with the starters and looked fantastic. Had four runs of about 30 yards. Looked much more explosive than Cody Schrader, who did not participate in team drills.
4. CB Charvarius Ward
Intercepted a long pass from Purdy intended for George Kittle. Even when Charvarius Ward is bored and just doing his duty, he is a safe cornerback.
THE NOT SO GOOD
1. The entire defense
Today, it couldn’t stop anything. It allowed a 60-yard touchdown catch to Robbie Chosen, who is retired with one leg. And it allowed a 10-yard walk-in touchdown run to Patrick Taylor Jr., who won’t make the team. Nick Bosa had a couple of sacks, but other than him, the 49ers defense just didn’t try hard.
2. WR Jacob Cowing
On the last play of practice, he limped off the field with an apparent leg injury. The injury did not appear to be serious, but was painful.
3.WR Ricky Pearsall
He still hasn’t been cleared to return to practice. Apparently he re-injured a shoulder he sustained during OTAs, which means this injury isn’t going away. So the 49ers will have to be patient with Pearsall. Don’t be surprised if he’s inactive to start the season. He’s just not ready to play yet.
