49ers roster: These 5 players impressed most during mandatory minicamp
By Peter Panacy
No. 4: 49ers wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud
Sticking with the wide receiver theme here, the 49ers’ offseason free-agent pickup of former Pittsburgh Steelers wideout and return specialist Ray-Ray McCloud could pay off dividends.
McCloud might not figure much into the Niners offense in 2022. But with rookie receiver Danny Gray sidelined with a hamstring injury, Kyle Shanahan let the veteran take plenty of snaps on day two of minicamp practices.
And by all accounts, McCloud made the most of them.
Trey Lance threw a perfect dime to Ray Ray McCloud III today at #49ers’ practice on a deep ball. The downfield passing attack has a chance to be dynamic. McCloud has been electrifying during these practices. His explosion at the catch point is impressive.
— Larry Krueger (@sportslarryk) June 8, 2022
Granted, OTAs and minicamps don’t feature bump-and-run coverage by defensive backs, so McCloud was able to get some free releases. However, getting behind safeties and into open areas of the secondary with relative ease is noteworthy enough.
This is one aspect of Shanahan’s offense that will certainly be exploited with Trey Lance’s strong-arm capabilities, and it’s good to see other options outside of Gray making the most of deep-field attempts.
If McCloud winds up displaying this sort of deep-threat prowess, he’ll certainly wind up seeing an uptick on offense and performing more than just a return specialist this upcoming season.