Niner Noise
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49ers training camp 2018: Wide receivers impress again, Ahkello Witherspoon bounces back

By Peter Panacy

SANTA CLARA, CA - JULY 30: Ronald Johnson #88 of the San Francisco 49ers catches a pass over Tramaine Brock #26 during practice at the San Francisco 49ers training facility on July 30, 2011 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - JULY 30: Ronald Johnson #88 of the San Francisco 49ers catches a pass over Tramaine Brock #26 during practice at the San Francisco 49ers training facility on July 30, 2011 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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SANTA CLARA, CA – DECEMBER 17: Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne #84 of the San Francisco 49ers breaks a tackle from free safety Kevin Byard #31 of the Tennessee Titans during the fourth quarter at Levi’s Stadium on December 17, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Tennessee Titans 25-23. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA – DECEMBER 17: Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne #84 of the San Francisco 49ers breaks a tackle from free safety Kevin Byard #31 of the Tennessee Titans during the fourth quarter at Levi’s Stadium on December 17, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Tennessee Titans 25-23. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images) /

Other 49ers Receivers Impress on Thursday

Marquise Goodwin is all but guaranteed a spot on the 49ers’ 53-man roster this season.

One player on the bubble, though, is second-year wideout Kendrick Bourne.

Bourne doesn’t necessarily have the flashiest speed, which is often a necessity in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense. But the 2017 undrafted free agent made a name for himself down the stretch his rookie season, including an impressive four-catch, 85-yard performance against the Tennessee Titans in Week 15.

By the look of it, Bourne is picking up where he left off. And that continued Friday, as he also beat Mabin on a nifty double move (h/t Rob Lowder):

Bourne did suffer a drop, which safety Adrian Colbert intercepted and ran in for a touchdown, per the San Jose Mercury News‘ Cam Inman, though. Last year, Bourne had just one dropped pass on 34 targets, however, so his hands shouldn’t be a big concern.

Meanwhile, second-year slot receiver Trent Taylor, who had missed the majority of training camp’s first week, made some impressions Thursday.

Taylor showed no signs of his previous back injury. And while working in an individual drill against a member of the 49ers coaching staff, Taylor was able to execute a nice cutback move, sliding out to his right and hauling in a pass from quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (h/t 95.7 The Game):

https://twitter.com/957thegame/status/1025082990085304320

Taylor was a favorite third-down weapon for Garoppolo last year, and the former fifth-round wideout finished ninth in the league with 19 third-down receptions for a first down.

Special teams ace Aaron Burbridge, who is fighting for one of the spots on the depth chart, also looked solid in practice.

Side note of importance, Garoppolo continued working on his deep passing with a number of other receivers after practice. That’s been a bit of a trend during camp so far.