The first day of the San Francisco 49ers rookie minicamp has come and gone. With well over 80 players on the field, there was plenty to see and report. I had a chance to observe the practice, and had a few things that jumped out at me.
C.J. Beathard
Quarterback C.J. Beathard and his number three jersey and depth chart status started the very windy day a little on the shaky side. That being said, he definitely got better deeper into drills. Wide receiver Trent Taylor and former Iowa teammate George Kittle saw the majority of action with Beathard at the helm. Beathard did throw an interception to safety Lorenzo Jerome, but it was just as much a great play by Jerome as it was a bad one by Beathard. I can see the potential with Beathard. He’s not going to start, but there is something there. Stay tuned.
Trent Taylor
Well this kid had a good day! The 5’8” 178-pound wide receiver may be on the small side, but he sure is fun to watch. He was able to get open with ease and he is fiery. I can see why he was indeed Kyle Shanahan’s draft crush. Granted it was one day of minicamp, but Taylor looked confident and comfortable in his new offense. He is definitely one to keep your eye on.
Reuben Foster
Foster didn’t participate in drills, as he is still rehabbing his shoulder, but he was out on the field most of the day with assistant coach DeMeco Ryans. It remains to be seen if the shoulder injury keeps Foster off the field in 2017, but he certainly didn’t look like a person who was down or concerned about his status.
Solomon Thomas
Solomon Thomas has quick feet. Like very quick feet. The 49ers first pick of the 2017 draft lined up at big end and impressed with his hands as well. He also told us that he and Foster are rooming together and are still like brothers. There’s a spark in both of these players that make me think they are going to be something special. You heard it here first. Or 10th. Either way, I stand by it.
Practice lasted a little less than two hours and seemed to go off without a hitch. I imagine we’re going to see lot more cuts on this team. If you’re trying out that many guys, you are looking to make big changes, which I think we already knew.