Wednesday is the first off day for the 49ers since the team reported for training camp on Saturday. It’s been an eventful four days with picturesque weather in Santa Clara.
Blaine Gabbert has connected on two deep touchdown strikes, Colin Kaepernick is shaking off rust after nearly 10 months away from being the starting signal-caller, Arik Armstead is emerging as a monster on the defensive line, Jimmie Ward is possibly the team’s best cornerback, and players continue to rave about Chip Kelly 2.0.
As both the media and the team hit the pause button in the middle of the week, there are five players who have exceeded expectations thus far, and could make decisions on the depth chart and the 53-man roster much harder for Kelly and his coaching staff
WR Jerome Simpson
Quinton Patton and Bruce Ellington are more of the household names in San Francisco’s wide receiving group, but Simpson is doing his best to make this a true competition for playing time come Week 1. On Monday he blew past Ward on a long touchdown with Gabbert and he’s been a productive pass catcher on deep routes hugging the sideline. Worth noting: with Torrey Smith now the No. 1 receiver, Kelly’s offense needs a receiver to fill the deep threat void and stretch the field. Simpson’s flatline speed has given the 49ers’ secondary problems early in camp. Don’t let his 30-year-old legs fool you — Simpson is arguably the fastest player on offense. Kelly’s eyes lit up when he was asked about him.
“He’s really flourishing in what we’re doing right now and he’s a guy to keep an eye on as we continue to move because if he continues to make plays like that, he’ll be a real nice advantage to add to Torrey, to have some speed on the outside like that,” Kelly said.
TE Je’Ron Hamm
Some think the 24-year-old is a long shot to even crack the roster and could be among the first cuts; some think Hamm is a diamond in the rough and a match made in heaven with Kelly’s offense. Of all the 49ers tight ends, none move quite like Hamm, who has been toasting linebackers in one-on-one drills. Garrett Celek’s contract extension and Blake Bell’s fourth-round pick status have both pretty much locked them into roster spots. It would be hard to let go of Bruce Miller, one of the NFL’s best fullbacks who’s making the transition to tight end, and Vance McDonald is much more of a proven professional. Maybe the 24-year-old Hamm (6-foot-3, 236 pounds) is kept as a hybrid receiver, but I’d bet he makes a big play or two in the preseason. Tough decisions are on the way at the tight end position.
DL Ronald Blair
The rookie out of Appalachian State is an interesting character to monitor on the defensive line because of his size (6-foot-4, 270 pounds). Blair has been able to shimmy his body through tight crevices in the offensive line and looked significantly stronger once the pads came on. With the 318-pound Quinton Dial likely shifting into more of a nose tackle role to replace Ian Williams, there is an opportunity for Blair to receive some rotational minutes at defensive end, and not just in the preseason.
LB Nick Bellore
The 49ers have a three-man competition going on next to NaVorro Bowman in the middle — Michael Wilhoite, Gerald Hodges and Ray-Ray Armstrong — and they all have equally split reps as the starter. But on the second unit, it’s Bellore who keeps breaking up passes in coverage. Mostly a special teams player in his first five NFL seasons, Bellore isn’t the most athletic, or the strongest, but his anticipation skills in coverage have not gone unnoticed to start training camp. When he was in Cleveland, defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil often craved roles for linebackers who kept making plays in practice. Keep your eye out for Bellore.
QB Jeff Driskel
Let’s pump the brakes on the sixth round pick out of Florida becoming the quarterback of the future. But for a guy known in college more for his athletic ability, Driskel’s footwork and launch point from the pocket have been much better than expected. He’s in a competition with veteran Thad Lewis at third-string quarterback, and I’m hearing there’s a chance both players could be kept — Lewis as a player-coach type to keep around in the meeting room and Driskel on the practice squad to continue his development.
A pretty slick throw from Jeff Driskel to Torrey Smith, along with a cameo from @Rand_Getlin. Sweet backpack. #49ers pic.twitter.com/UIi5X8jM25
— Rob Lowder (@Rob_Lowder) August 3, 2016