These 49ers players benefited most from Vikings joint practices
By Peter Panacy
Joint practice with Vikings benefits 49ers RB Tyrion Davis-Price
Pro Football Focus recently ranked the 49ers’ linebacker corps No. 1 in the NFL entering 2022.
Not to be wholly outdone, though, the Vikings’ linebacking crop finished fifth in the same ranking, boasting some well-known names as Eric Kendricks and former Arizona Cardinals backer Jordan Hicks, while outside linebackers Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith look to both set the edge against the run and rush the passer this season.
The Niners seem intent to give rookie running back Tyrion Davis-Price a lot of work this season, as he received a team-high 10 carries against Green Bay and might shoulder the load on the ground over San Francisco’s final two exhibition bouts before Week 1.
And with No. 1 running back Elijah Mitchell on the mend with a hamstring injury, the rookie was poised to get an uptick in work.
While going up against Minnesota’s first-team defense, the former LSU tailback managed to test his mettle against a team that allowed 4.7 yards per carry a season ago, which ranked 29th, vastly inferior to the 49ers’ own defense that didn’t allow more than one 100-yard rushing opponent from Week 10 through the NFC Championship game last season.
Hopefully, that’ll be a good confidence booster.
One of the things Davis-Price will want to work on isn’t just perfecting his tough-to-tackle mantra but also avoiding contact, getting slippery at the point where defenders are touching him.
Perhaps he’ll wind up applying what he learned sooner than later.