SANTA CLARA — First-round draft pick Ricky Pearsall made his 49ers training camp debut in front of a packed house Monday while only participating in individual drills.
Coach Kyle Shanahan shared that the training staff wants to see how the receiver’s hamstring responds to the workload before working him into 11-on-11 work.
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Several veterans had rest days including Nick Bosa, Christian McCaffrey, Kyle Juszczyk and Jake Brendel.
Brandon Aiyuk was seen watching practice while chatting with 49ers alumni Frank Gore and Donte Whitner, but there still has been no sign of Trent Williams as he waits for reworked contract.
Here are five takeaways from Day 5 of 49ers training camp:
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Defense Dominates The Day
Brock Purdy and the 49ers' offense had a productive run period early in practice, but after that, the defense won the day. Fred Warner, Deommodore Lenoir and George Odum all picked off the starting quarterback during team drills, while the offense failed to get into a rhythm through the air.
Warner snagged a Purdy pass that bounced off the hands of Logan Thomas during red zone work, kicking off a streak of five incompletions for Purdy and the offense.
Lenoir’s pick was the most athletic of the three, climbing over the top of Deebo Samuel to get a hold of the ball. Odum picked off another pass intended for Samuel while Purdy was on the run following a “sack” by Javon Hargrave.
Shanahan agreed the defense came out ahead on the day.
“I would say so, especially down there I the red zone where it’s tighter. They definitely did,” Shanahan said. “First day of pads, I thought that helped with our protections a little bit. Definitely thought the offense got the better half in the run period in the beginning, but the way the rest of practice went I’d say it was obviously the D.”
Pearsall Makes Training Camp Debut
At the beginning of warmups, the rookie receiver ran up to a few awaiting fans for a high-five before heading out onto the field. Pearsall went through individual drills and a few red zone drills with the offense and appeared to not have any issues with the hamstring that sidelined him during the first week of practice.
The Florida product appeared lighthearted and happy to be back in the mix while taking reps catching kick off returns from the JUGS machine alongside Ronnie Bell and Trent Taylor. The group practiced catching the ball with one already in their hands that they tossed in the air as the ball from the JUGS machine was approaching.
D-line Interior Looking Solid
It only has been one padded practice, but the 49ers' new additions to the interior of the defensive line have been effective. Hargrave appears to be making an early impact as expected, but Maliek Collins and Jordan Elliott look primed to fill the shoes left by Arik Armstead, who is now with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“I know those are big shoes to fill,” Collins said after practice. “I know what he meant to this organization and this community being from [Sacramento]. Somebody I have a lot of respect for. I’m just here to be the best version of myself.”
Battle For CMC's Backup?
Elijah Mitchell has been a very productive back for the 49ers, but J.P. Mason has been making his presence known at 49ers training camp. The third-year ball carrier has been a reliable receiver while also exemplifying his remarkable speed coming out of the backfield.
“I’d say nothing against Elijah, there’s no fall off in Elijah at all, but J.P. runs at a very high level,” Shanahan said. “I see both of those guys, if Christian isn’t in there, if their number is called, we expect them to run like a starting back.
“J.P. wasn’t there right away, but he got there pretty quick. And he did a hell of a job for us last year, and we will see how camp plays out, but I love both of those guys and got some depth behind them too.”
Odds And Ends
Rookie receiver Jacob Cowing, who has been sidelined with a hamstring injury, could be back after about 10 days of rest and rehab, but things aren’t quite as optimistic regarding rookie running back Isaac Guerendo.
Guerendo has a higher, unspecified grade of a hamstring strain and will miss several weeks before returning to the practice field.
It still has not been determined if Spencer Burford will have surgery on his broken hand. The offensive lineman was seen Monday with a substantial wrap around his injured hand, and he will seek the opinion of another specialist before a decision is made.
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