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The 49ers opened the practice window for defensive tackle Kalia Davis on Wednesday.
Davis, a sixth-round pick of the 49ers in the 2022 NFL Draft, sustained a knee injury in the preseason opener at the Tennessee Titans and required surgery. He was placed on injured reserve after the team’s initial cut to 53 players.
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Davis sat out his rookie season as he went through physical therapy after his career at Central Florida ended with a torn ACL.
He appeared in three games last and registered one sack. He did not play in the postseason after sustaining a high-ankle sprain late in the season and going on IR.
When a player, such as Davis, is cleared to practice, it begins the clock on a 21-day window. Davis can be activated to the 53-man roster at any point during that period of time. But at the end of 21 days, if a roster move has not been made at that point, the team must place him on the active roster, keep him on injured reserve for the entire season, trade him or release him.
The 49ers believe Davis has a chance to be a significant contributor as part of their defensive line rotation. At the time he sustained his injury in the preseason, coach Kyle Shanahan said Davis was playing well.
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“I thought it was one of his best games,” Shanahan said of Davis in August. “It was really unfortunate. He played awesome throughout the whole game. That’s why he and us were really surprised that he had such a tough injury.
“It’s a setback but he had such a good camp, such a good game, he’s in a good spot to bounce back.”
Shanahan described Davis’ injury as structural damage behind his kneecap.
When the 49ers drafted Davis, general manager John Lynch drew comparisons to D.J. Jones, who signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Denver Broncos as a free agent that offseason.
“He's a guy we see a lot of D.J. Jones in," Lynch said at the time. "He fits exactly who we want to be as a defensive tackle, and we became very fond of him through the process."