49ers camp takeaways: Brown continues to be nuisance on defense

SANTA CLARA — The 49ers held their longest practice of training camp Saturday before a packed house of fans.

The nearly two-hour session included 1-on-1s between the offensive and defensive lines, as well as wide receivers and defensive backs. The longest segment of the practice was a “move-the-ball” drill that simulated running full drives by the offense.

Both Christian McCaffrey and Nick Bosa returned from rest days and looked fresh while participating in quite a few plays on the field.

Brandon Aiyuk was spotted watching practice from the shaded area close to the weight room. Talanoa Hufanga observed the walk through that took place before team drills, and Dre Greenlaw was seen kneeling near the sidelines watching the 11-on-11 segment, yelling encouraging remarks to position mate Dee Winters, who has been a standout at camp.

Here are five takeaways from Day 9 of 49ers training camp:

Brown Continues To Be A Nuisance

Second-year safety Ji'Ayir Brown picked off quarterback Brock Purdy twice during team drills. One interception came during the first team’s fifth rep on the field, on a pass intended for rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall. The ball glanced off of Pearsall’s fingers and into Brown’s awaiting arms.

Brown’s second pick of the day was a Purdy pass intended for wideout Deebo Samuel, which could have been a little miscommunication. Regardless, the former third-round pick took advantage of the situation and came up with a turnover for the defense.

All Four QBs Get Reps

Purdy took the lion’s share of snaps under center with the first team, but with a lengthier practice came more opportunities for Brandon Allen, Josh Dobbs and Tanner Mordecai. While Purdy had two wayward passes end up in the hands of the defense, the remainder of the day appeared to be productive for the offense.

The 49ers' run offense had another strong start with McCaffrey getting to the second level on multiple occasions, while the usual suspects were involved in the passing game. Purdy connected with Samuel, Pearsall, George Kittle, Jauan Jennings, Chris Conley, Jordan Mason and Eric Saubert.

Backup RB Competition Heating Up

McCaffrey is the clear star in the 49ers' running backs room, but Jordan Mason has been pushing for more reps on the field. The second-year running back has increased his value by becoming a more reliable receiving target after investing in a JUGS machine to train with during the offseason.

Mason has been taking everything he can from being in the room with McCaffrey and already has shown growth through training camp practices.

“I’m just an angry dude running,” Mason said. “Full of steam, trying to get touchdown and a first downs. That’s how I describe it.”

Defensive Line Shaping Up

With the most turnover of any other position group, the defensive line has been getting into the backfield and creating a solid challenge for Colton McKivitz and the rest of the offensive line. The right tackle believes that the new additions, including Leonard Floyd, Yetur Gross-Matos and Maliek Collins, are going to make the offensive line better.

“Leonard is just as fast as he was in ’21 when I remember playing him,” McKivitz said. “He’s a great challenge with speed. I think that’s one thing that is going to be a great addition for Nick is some speed off the edge. Beal has gotten a lot better, and Yetur is a great powerful rusher and he is going to be a great addition.

“Another one to watch is Maliek on the inside. I think he’s been great on B-blocks, he’s been tough for some of our guards. Obviously [Javon] Hargrave has been there, but we’ve had some great additions on the defensive line this year.”

Young Players Getting Reps

With efforts to keep the 49ers' starters fresh, many of the young additions to the team have been getting valuable reps during training camp that might not ordinarily be an opportunity once the season begins.

Rookie running back Cody Schrader has been seen a lot with the second and third teams on the offense, both as a ball carrier and as a receiver.

Renardo Green and Malik Mustapha have been getting time on the defensive side, along with Dee Winters, who is vying for playing time next to Fred Warner. They all seem to be using each rep to gain experience that will help when their number is called.

The 49ers will close out the week with what likely will be a shorter session Sunday before a day off Monday.

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