49ers training camp: 5 fringe players who are improving roster chances
By Peter Panacy
49ers fringe player No. 1: Wide receiver Danny Gray
The first week-plus of training camp wasn’t too kind on rookie wide receiver Danny Gray.
Like Spencer Burford, the Niners aren’t going to abandon their hopes for the speedy wideout from SMU just because of a few bad practices. But the third-round pick from this year’s draft was clearly struggling trying to separate from cornerbacks and never got the chance to flash his speed and separation.
Until last Tuesday’s practices, of course.
Rookie WR Danny Gray stood out today. He caught 2 deep passes from Nate Sudfeld, the second coming on a good battle with Ambry Thomas.
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) August 2, 2022
Gray is very fast, as advertised, and the 49ers are clearly gearing him up for a field-stretching role
San Francisco has its top three wide receiver spots set with Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings, while return specialist Ray-Ray McCloud could factor in as a deep threat, too, provided Gray isn’t up to the task by the time the regular season rolls around.
Had Gray stayed at the flat trajectory he was showcasing earlier in camp, he’d likely be relegated to the back end of the depth chart only, looking squarely at a disappointing rookie campaign.
While it’s still early, at least the first-year wideout is beginning to trend in the right direction.
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