It's still way early in 49ers training camp, but the first two days have left us with some notable takeaways.
On Thursday, San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks was asked what he thought about the new defensive line he inherited, particularly knowing that star edge Nick Bosa was absent while holding out for a new contract.
"We have depth, and it’s not when one guy comes out that you feel like, okay, we’re going to drop off," Wilks said. "No, not at all. So, the depth that we have across the board, inside and out, man, that’s what I’m talking about. Never been around anything like this."
It's clear Wilks is enjoying working with the Niners D-line in his first year as coordinator with San Francisco, and despite him being primarily a secondary coach, meshing in a potent D-line figures to give Wilks all the success possible this season.
The 49ers have concluded two days of training camp thus far, and there are some key takeaways even though it's far too soon to be drawing any concrete conclusions.
Here are a few notable observations.
Javon Kinlaw, Drake Jackson playing like they have something to prove
Two of the Niners' D-linemen should have chips on their shoulders, Javon Kinlaw and Drake Jackson.
Kinlaw isn't having his fifth-year option picked up, meaning he's in a contract year after appearing in just 10 games combined the last two seasons, while Jackson finished last season as a frequent healthy scratch because of poor conditioning.
It seems as if both have some newfound motivation.
Of Kinlaw, Wilks said:
"He stayed here all summer, dedicated himself as far as trying to continue to get his body right. Mentally, he’s in a great spot and just love the way he’s playing violent, hands up front, getting off the ball and the way he’s turning and running and getting to the football is amazing."
Jackson, meanwhile benefits from Bosa being absent, meaning he's getting the primary pass-rushing duties (even without pads).
According to camp reports, Jackson managed two "sacks" while going up against All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams.
Brock Purdy is back under center for the 49ers
Perhaps the biggest news stemming from the opening day of training camp was that second-year quarterback Brock Purdy was fully cleared to participate after suffering a torn UCL last January and undergoing offseason elbow surgery.
Granted, Purdy is on a "pitch count" and won't practice every day, and it was fellow quarterback Trey Lance who actually worked with the first-stringers on day one of camp.
But Purdy was the primary player on day two.
Except Purdy's efforts didn't exactly go well, at least according to the stats (h/t The Athletic's David Lombardi):
Brock Purdy was very rusty in his return to the practice field. Both he and Trey Lance struggled against a spirited 49ers defense today.
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) July 27, 2023
Purdy: 3-10, 1 INT
Lance: 2-5, dropped INT
Sam Darnold: 3-5
Brandon Allen: 4-5
Darnold made the nicest throw of practice to Deebo Samuel
More on the quarterbacking woes in a bit, but stats shouldn't bother Purdy whatsoever.
What matters is that he's back on the field and throwing footballs in team settings, and he returned far earlier than the original predictions of late August or even early September.
49ers defense is ahead of the offense... for now
This honestly shouldn't be too big a surprise, as this is often the case for most teams across the league. Even those with terrible defenses.
But, particularly in the complex offense the 49ers operate under head coach Kyle Shanahan, it's natural to assume the Niners defense is going to be playing better toward the beginning of camp while Shanahan's offense acclimates and gets into rhythm.
Sometimes, we've seen that getting into rhythm stretch into the regular season, too.
At any rate, San Francisco's defense is still stacked with talent at all three levels. Even without Nick Bosa, the 49ers pass rush is potent (without pads), while the 49ers own the best linebacker group in the entire NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.
And, if Steve Wilks is bringing out the best within the secondary, there are good reasons why the defense is starting off hotter.
49ers' trio of Brock Purdy, Trey Lance and Sam Darnold leave more questions than answers
Brock Purdy is allowed to struggle after just one practice session. No one is going to complain about that, but no one is going to suggest he's looking just as good as he was prior to his injury either.
Likewise, the battle for the No. 2 spot behind Purdy and between Trey Lance and Sam Darnold remains pretty inconclusive, although the previous slide's lesson still applies for both quarterbacks and their supporting offensive casts.
49ers Webzone's Rohan Chakravarthi broke down day two of practice with a pretty insightful analysis:
"None of the quarterbacks had inspiring performances on the day, with Purdy finishing 2/7 with three sacks, an interception, and drop, Lance finishing 2/5 with a drop, and Darnold finishing 2/5 with a drop.
Still, I'd give the slight edge to Sam Darnold for the reason of not making a poor play, like Lance and Purdy's shots into double-coverage, earning the free agent signing a "C" grade for the day.
Purdy and Lance both tie at a "C-" grade on a poor performance day, with both players battling their own struggles and inconsistencies."
Read more: 3 observations from Day 1 of 49ers training camp 2023
Perhaps fourth-string quarterback Brandon Allen is laughing at the rest of the cast and making his bid to start this season, right?
San Francisco will practice on Friday but will take Saturday off before resuming camp practices on Sunday.