49ers roster: 4 players whose stock took a hit at minicamp

No. 2: 49ers safety Leon O’Neal Jr.

It might be a bit unfair to list an undrafted free-agent rookie as one of those who didn’t necessarily improve his stock value, as he somewhat did by intercepting Trey Lance during full-team drills.

But that might be the lone flashy moment from former Texas A&M safety Leon O’Neal Jr. during the two-day practice window.

NBC Sports Bay Area’s Jennifer Lee Chan broke down how O’Neal was made to look bad by Ray-Ray McCloud on one of those deep passing attempts from Lance. And while O’Neal wasn’t alone in coverage, his questionable coverage skills didn’t exactly shine here:

"Lance’s first touchdown throw traveled at least 40 yards down field and was caught by Ray-Ray McCloud III. The former Pittsburgh Steeler wideout was being covered by safeties Leon O’Neal and Tayler Hawkins. The sophomore quarterback’s second deep pass went straight down the middle of the field, into the awaiting hands of tight end Jordan Matthews as he crossed the goal line. Both O’Neal and Hawkins were in coverage for both eye-popping plays."

O’Neal is a long shot to start in 2022, but his chances to make the 53-man roster are still open. And it’s a bit unfortunate the bulk of his on-field efforts during minicamp were less about interceptions and pass breakouts, rather they were more about challenges in coverage.