49ers training camp: 5 players off to a hot start in 2020
By Peter Panacy
49ers training camp is still fresh and just beginning, yet these five players have gotten off to a great start early and could continue to impress.
There’s only a limited amount of evidence so far, but the San Francisco 49ers have already received some notable performances from players over their first three on-field days of training camp.
Aside from impromptu workouts and walk-throughs, there haven’t been any storylines for Niners players during practices this offseason, thanks to the global pandemic. Needless to say, evaluating who’s performing well right at the beginning of camp and generating a lot of hype can be quite premature.
But that’s OK. After a weird offseason, some added hype is never a bad thing.
Some players are living up to the hype already, while others are even exceeding it. These performances will surely influence head coach Kyle Shanahan’s formation of the 53-man roster while pointing out who might be the cornerstone players for San Francisco over the course of 2020.
Let’s take a look at five players who have thrived in training camp so far.
No. 5: 49ers EDGE Nick Bosa
There’s an idea players make the biggest leaps in their development between years one and two. And if that’s the case, EDGE Nick Bosa‘s efforts in 2020 should be a lot of fun to watch after the 49ers’ top pick from the 2019 NFL Draft’s tremendous rookie year.
Bosa going up against perennial Pro Bowl offensive tackle Trent Williams was already a premier one-on-one matchup to watch in camp. And so far, the results have been going Bosa’s way:
Nick Bosa was excellent today. Sacked Jimmy Garoppolo and blew up a Raheem Mostert sweep on the next play in 11s. In one-on-ones, beat Trent Williams with an inside move and then Williams put him on his ass the next rep. Those two are fun to watch against each other. #49ers
— Chris Biderman (@ChrisBiderman) August 16, 2020
Granted, Williams sat out all of 2019 while dealing with a contract dispute in Washington, so he could be shaking off some of the rust. But Bosa getting the best of a potential Hall of Fame player on a regular basis is great news for the Niners.
True, defenses tend to outperform opposing offenses early in camp. But Bosa is a cornerstone player, and seeing him off to such a hot start early is a great sign.
San Francisco hopes he’ll keep it up through 2020 and into the playoffs.