49ers head coachKyle Shanahan made it abundantly clear early in training camp: “Nothing really counts till we get the pads on and start doing a little more football.”
On Monday the team will do just that, which means the competition will heat up and the real decisions about the team’s future will start being made.
Performing well without pads on is important and lays a good foundation for when the hitting starts. Ultimately though a football player is only as good as they are when the reps are live and the pads are popping.
A handful of players earned praise through the first four practices of camp, while others haven’t gotten a chance to really shine yet. These six players will have the most to prove starting Monday when the 49ers put their pads on for the first time this season:
Trey Lance
Lance had an up-and-down first few days of camp, but this is where he’ll need to show out for the benefit of his short and long-term futures. The physical tools are undeniable, but he has to continue progressing when there’s a pass rush and an offensive line in front of him. Practices have shown there’s clear improvement in his throwing mechanics. Now he has to do it when the reps are for real. This is a massive month of football coming up for Lance.
Tyrion Davis-Price
Not many players drew as much praise from the coaching staff as Davis-Price did through the first couple days of training camp. The 2022 third-round pick struggled as a rookie, but all signs point to him taking a sizable leap in his second year. The talent is there and his hard-nosed running style fits with what the 49ers want to do offensively. Now he has to be decisive to the hole and elusive in the open field against a fully-padded defense. If he does that he’ll be a lock to make the team in Year 2.
Sam Darnold
Darnold is in a similar spot to Lance where his improvement has to shine through in a more intense competitive environment. One of the killers for Darnold in his career has been his decision-making when the reps are live. So far it’s looked like Darnold is on track to play some of the best football of his career. It needs to still look like that over the next few weeks if he wants to win the QB2 job out of camp.
Javon Kinlaw
Kinlaw is another player who’s drawn praise from coaches and media on site at camp. He looks to be in great shape and he’s moving as well as he has since joining the 49ers as a first-round pick in 2020. Now the hitting starts and this is where Kinlaw has to dominate. If he can separate himself from the pack when he’s hitting offensive linemen it will bode very well for his chances to have an impactful role now that he’s fully healthy.
Drake Jackson
There’s been a lot of talk this offseason about Jackson getting in shape and adding weight without shedding athleticism. Now he’ll put it to the test against an offensive line for the first time. Jackson doesn’t need to dominate on the Nick Bosa level, but he has to stand out in a way that cements him as the team’s starting DE opposite Bosa. If there are questions about Jackson or a real battle for that spot, it’s not a great sign for his long-term prospects.
Brock Purdy
We plugged Purdy in last because it’s not necessarily that he has to “prove” anything. The fact he’s practicing in full just six months after having his UCL torn is a testament to his toughness and commitment. Practicing against his own defense isn’t necessarily what Purdy needs to do to check the next box in his rehab. He has to practice against the Raiders during their joint sessions leading up to the preseason opener. Then he has to do it in a preseason game. Once Purdy does those things he’ll be fully ready to be the team’s Week 1 starter.
