SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

3 Takeaways from Day 1 of 49ers 2024 Training Camp

Jul 24, 2024, 9:09 PM | Updated: Jul 26, 2024, 8:14 am

The San Francisco 49ers during training camp at the SAP Performance Facility on August 1, 2023 in S...

Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images

We are officially back to 49ers football as 2024 Training Camp has begun!

The San Francisco 49ers took to the practice field Wednesday to kick off the 2024 season. And while it was a shorter session than the ones to follow, and the players are still getting their gridiron guts about, some interesting developments arose from Day 1. Some expected, and some completely out of nowhere. But that’s the beauty of training camp; You never know what’s going to happen.

Here are three takeaways from the first day of 2024 49ers football.

The Long-Lost Wideout known as Danny Gray

With the moving parts around the 49ers receiving corps at the moment, someone was bound to stand out. Many thought it’d be Ricky Pearsall (injured), Jacob Cowing or even Ronnie Bell in training camp this year.

None of the above; The real answer on Day 1 was Danny Gray. Yes, Danny Gray.

The forgotten SMU product that has played a combined 13 games in his career (all in 2022), and has one career catch for 10 yards, had the best showing of all wideouts Wednesday. Gray looked fluid on the field, cutting in-and-out of his routes with a sort of crispness that should excite 49ers fans.

He also showed out in 11-on-11s, bringing in two catches with ease. One particular stood out, breaking on an out route for a first down like he was doing laundry.

I know, I know, it’s training camp non-padded drills. It doesn’t mean anything.

But what if it does? At the very least he’s one to watch for the remainder of camp and the preseason, especially with Pearsall on the shelf and Aiyuk holding in for the moment.

2024: The Year Deebo Samuel (potentially) gets his groove back

Speaking of wide receivers (or wide-backs), Deebo Samuel looks lean.

And I mean lean.

Samuel came into his sixth NFL training camp in the best shape of his life. And he practiced like that as well, moving with the speed and pace he typically displays midseason. His dedication to his body this offseason is remarkable, but to be honest, not totally surprising.

Samuel enters the final year of his current deal with SF, meaning 2024 is a prove-it year. And he’s acting like it.

Coming off two underwhelming seasons sprinkled with injuries, the clock is ticking on the 28-year-old to get paid like a top offensive weapon. It has to happen now for Samuel if he’s looking for market value in excess of $30 million annually.

Whether that’s with the 49ers, or not, after 2024.

But in the meantime, his commitment to being the best version of himself only makes the 49ers better. And his willingness to show that during 49ers Training Camp speaks volumes to what this year means as a collective.

Second-Years Ready to Make the Jump

Training Camp is the perfect opportunity to try new things and see who has blossomed after an offseason away.

So far, the top candidates are linebacker Dee Winters and safety Ji’Ayir Brown. ļæ¼

Winters was one of the biggest winners of offseason workouts, as said so by both the players and coaches alike. That progression has only continued into training camp, having a good start to Year 2. Even though pads aren’t allowed until the coming weeks, his impact was noticeable from focus and precise aspects Wednesday.

“He made a huge jump,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday post-practice. “You’re always waiting to see the guys who do that in the second year, and I thought he really did in OTAs (organized team activities). I think it was nice for him not having Fred [Warner] and [Dre Greenlaw] out there, so he gets a lot of reps, and he was ready for those reps.”

It’s one thing for coaches to mention (or even hype) their players up after a lackluster rookie year, but both the head coach and the defensive captain? That means something.

Dee Winters is one to watch for the remainder of the next six weeks, and could be looking at a sub-linebacker role once the 53-man roster is settled. But, he has to keep building momentum.

The other standout has been Ji’Ayir Brown, but that’s not a total surprise.

Brown, 24, played admirable after Talanoa Hufanga tore his ACL Week 11 last season. The then-rookie S stood tall in the face of fire, racking up 56 combined tackles in only seven starts. He also had three interceptions, five pass break-ups and a 77.9 Pro Football Focus score in the regular season. His play dipped a bit during the postseason. However, he was just a rookie, running head-first into his first postseason and Super Bowl berth along the way.

Point being: Mistakes are bound to happen. It’s how you respond that matters. And Brown has responded beautifully for the 49ers this offseason.

ā€œI’m pumped about Jiā€™Ayir,Ā I thought he finished the year great last year. He’s had a hell of an offseason,” Shanahan said. “He’s around here all the time. The guy lives football and Iā€™m pumped for him to go through this camp.ā€

The Penn State alum will be asked to learn on the job once more in 2024, with Hufanga still rehabbing his ACL tear. It’s very likely that once “Huf” returns, he’ll slot in next to Brown at the back of the secondary. Or, could another name emerge next to Brown in the secondary? Rookie S Malik Mustapha registered the first INT of 49ers training camp Wednesday. George Odum is a veteran of the system in Santa Clara.

Either way, it appears the second-year standout has the position if stays the course, with Shanahan & Co. confident he can carry the torch for the 49ers’ backline.

ā€œYeah, I thought he was ready last year. Everyone knows how good of a player Huf is and [Jiā€™Ayir Brown] Tig got his opportunity when Huf went down and he was ready for it,” Shanahan stated. “I talk about Dee Winters, someone who was always ready but never really got that opportunity. Tig was the same, but he did get it. And then when you’re ready for it and you get to play through some stuff, it makes you so much better, the experience, and he took that right into the offseason. Huf not being quite ready right away will allow him to get more reps and just continue to help him.ā€

SanĀ FranciscoĀ 49ers 2024 Public Training CampĀ Schedule:

  • Thursday, July 25th ā€“ Friday, July 26th
  • Monday July 29th ā€“ Wednesday, July 31st
  • Friday, Aug. 2nd ā€“ Sunday, August 4th
  • Tuesday, Aug. 6th ā€“ Wednesday, Aug. 7th

*Ā All open practice times are approximately 10:15 a.m. ā€“ 12:15 p.m. and subject to change

San Francisco 49ers 2024 Schedule:

Preseason

  • Saturday, August 10thĀ @ Tennessee Titans ā€“ 4 pm PDT
  • Sunday, August 18thĀ vs. New Orleans Saints ā€“ 5 pm PDT
  • Friday, August 23rdĀ @ Las Vegas Raiders ā€“ 7 pm PDT

Regular Season

  • Monday, September 9thĀ vs. New York Jets ā€“ 5:15 pm PDT
  • Sunday, September 15thĀ @ Minnesota Vikings ā€“ 10 am PDT
  • Sunday, September 22ndĀ ā€“ @ Los Angeles Rams ā€“ 1:25 pm PDT
  • Sunday, September 29thĀ vs. New England Patriots ā€“ 1:05 pm PDT
  • Sunday, October 6thĀ vs. Arizona Cardinals ā€“ 1:05 PM PDT

Thank you for readingĀ SactownSports.com. Follow us onĀ TwitterĀ andĀ Google News, and subscribe to ourĀ YouTubeĀ channel.

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