Very little can be learned over the first few days of 49ers training camp, yet these five players are already standing out well above the rest.
The first week of San Francisco 49ers training camp is nearly over. And it’s weird to think within less than two weeks, the Niners will take the field for their first preseason game of the 2022 season against the visiting Green Bay Packers.
However, at least in terms of the ramp-up period before the regular season, it’s still awfully early. A handful of practices won’t lead to any grand sweeping conclusions about risers or fallers on the roster, the bubble watch or whether or not quarterback Trey Lance has what it takes to cut it at the NFL level.
Yet there are some notable takeaways from the opening practices, and there are a number of players performing well early, too.
Full disclaimer, the bulk of players are on the defensive side of the ball, as coordinator DeMeco Ryans’ unit has been looking like the superior group the first week, and this is typical across most team camps, not just 49ers training camp.
Still, it’s been good to see these five, in particular, getting off to a hot start.
49ers training camp standout: Cornerback Charvarius Ward
Usually, the addition of one lone player to a position with as many bodies as cornerback won’t make a whirlwind of a difference, but the Niners are certainly experiencing that with their high-profile free-agent signing from this offseason, Charvarius Ward.
Ward, who frequently found himself defending on an island for the Kansas City Chiefs last year, has been excellent over the first week.
The San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch explained further:
"The 49ers paid big money for the self-assured Ward, 26, in March in hopes that he can fix what was perhaps their biggest problem area last year. Due to injuries, inexperience and ineffectiveness, the 49ers led the NFL in pass-interference penalties, had the third-fewest pass breakups, allowed the fourth-highest completion percentage and had the fifth-fewest interceptions. The early returns on their $40 million investment? Ward has headlined the secondary as the defense dominated through three training-camp practices."
The addition of Ward helped solve a massive need, but his presence also serves to push down other solid defensive backs on the depth chart, effectively making the position much deeper than it was before.
And it appears as if thickening up the depth chart has made another one of the 49ers’ cornerbacks better, too.
49ers training camp standout: Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley
With Charvarius Ward now in the fray, there was a bit of an open-ended question as to which player the Niners would field at the No. 2 boundary cornerback spot. Since veteran corner Jason Verrett started on the physically unable-to-perform list and isn’t practicing yet after tearing his ACL last year, the thinking was this role could go to a defensive back like Ambry Thomas, Dontae Johnson or Emmanuel Moseley.
Well, Moseley has been the best of the trio by far.
Perhaps not as high-impact a player as Ward, Moseley has nevertheless looked like a complete shutdown corner over every day of practice thus far, and Sports Illustrated’s Grant Cohn described just how well the former undrafted free agent has been playing despite not having the benefit of jamming wide receivers at the line of scrimmage just yet:
"[Moseley] has given up zero catches through three days of camp. Today, he got targeted just once and the pass was incomplete. He’s playing like a shutdown cornerback."
Even if Verrett is ready to go soon, the No. 2 corner job is Moseley’s to lose right now, meaning Verrett would likely slide into a primary reserve role who’s more than capable of starting and doing so well, if healthy.
And that’s a massive boost to a cornerback room that was a primary problem for San Francisco a year ago.
49ers training camp standout: Running back Tyrion Davis-Price
There haven’t been too many offensive standouts, again showing more of why the defense typically starts out stronger than the offense early in training camp.
However, one of the few positives who has made a quality impression early is rookie running back Tyrion Davis-Price.
The 49ers drafted Davis-Price in Round 3 last spring for a few different reasons, first to take pressure off having to use wide receiver Deebo Samuel heavily in the ground game, and they also did so to guard against injury to presumed No. 1 running back Elijah Mitchell, who missed seven games last year.
Yet the Niners also wanted the 6-foot-1, 220-pound Davis-Price to provide some heavy thump on the ground, too, helping overcome those short down-and-distance runs in which they struggled last season.
So far, so good in that department, as The Athletic’s Matt Barrows described by writing, “Davis-Price had another violent-looking — and sounding — run, this one up the left side.”
Now, Barrows admitted the rookie rusher dropped a would-be pass, yet Grant Cohn also described the performance on the ground as one where Davis-Price “finds a crease and explodes through it as hard as he can.”
If San Francisco emphasizes this part of the rookie’s game, the offense will be in good shape.
49ers training camp standout: EDGE Nick Bosa
Not surprisingly, Pro Bowl EDGE Nick Bosa has been the biggest disruptor on the defensive side of the ball during 49ers training camp.
Despite sitting out of practice on Friday for a maintenance day, the fourth-year pro was a menace for Trey Lance and the offense the first two days, regularly overpowering what’s been a makeshift Niners offensive line in the first week.
Granted, San Francisco was without All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams, who was absent for the birth of his child during the week, so perhaps Bosa had a much easier go of it than he normally would.
Still, the edge rusher is taking full advantage of it.
“Going against Trent is obviously super helpful but there are a lot of things that I won’t be able to use against him because he takes those things away,” Bosa said after Friday’s practice, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “So going against some of the back-ups who are also really good players allows me to bring out all my tools and hone everything in before the year.”
A year ago, Bosa was just coming off the torn ACL he suffered early in 2020. With that well behind him in the rearview mirror, it’s looking as if Bosa can build even more upon his best season as a pro from 2021.
49ers training camp standout: Safety Talanoa Hufanga
One might expect Nick Bosa to be on a list of early training camp standouts.
However, seeing second-year safety Talanoa Hufanga on that list might come as a bit of a shock, especially in light over some concerns regarding his overall athleticism and straight-line speed.
Nevertheless, in tandem with many of the other 49ers defensive backs who have performed well thus far, Hufanga is also shining in a big way.
Grant Cohn described:
"[Hufanga] intercepted Trey Lance. Lance stared down his first read, George Kittle, who never turned to find the pass. Hufanga anticipated the throw and picked it off with ease. So far, Hufanga has played quite well in camp and has given up zero big plays."
Want your voice heard? Join the Niner Noise team!
The Niners have mostly kept Hufanga down closer to the line of scrimmage during practices instead of asking him to cover in space, which is a good idea. Hufanga didn’t suddenly become faster overnight, so at least getting him closer to the action will work in his favor.
San Francisco seems to be ticketing Hufanga to replace now-Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Jaquiski Tartt for the starting strong safety role this season, and there’s no one else on the roster who’s coming close to seizing that job.
Great for Hufanga, who’ll look to stay hot entering Week 2 of practice.