Observations from day two of 49ers mini-camp

The 49ers held day two of their mandatory three-day mini-camp Wednesday afternoon. Here is what stood out.

The defense

It was a strong day for the 49ers defense. Their deep defensive line put constant pressure on the quarterback and forced two interceptions.

Kerry Hyder 

Hyder recorded a career-high 8.5 sacks with San Francisco in 2020. After spending last year in Seattle, Hyder returned to the 49ers this offseason. On Wednesday, he made his presence felt in a big way.

Hyder beat right tackle Jaylon Moore around the right side on back-to-back plays for would-be sacks. For good measure, he moved over to the left side and beat Justin Skule. 

The veteran wasn’t done yet. On the second to last play of the day, Hyder beat tight end Tanner Hudson for a sack on Nate Sudfeld.

Kemoko Turay

The free-agent acquisition from Indianapolis has looked good throughout the offseason. Today he used his explosive first step to get around Colton McKivitz for a sack of Nate Sudfeld.

Charles Omenihu

San Francisco traded for Omenihu midway through last season. 

Omenihu primarily rushed from the inside during his time with Houston, like how the 49ers used Arden Key over the second half of last season. 

Omenihu took some reps today inside, possibly a precursor of what to look for as San Francisco tries to create mismatches inside this year. 

Samson Ebukam

Ebukam came on strong once he was moved into the starting lineup near the middle of last season. Focusing solely on playing edge allowed the veteran to improve his pass rush moves. He’s looked explosive throughout OTAs and mini-camp.

Drake Jackson

Jackson struggled to generate pressure yesterday, but the rookie received rave reviews from his defensive teammates. 

Today, he beat Alfredo Gutierrez around the right side, forcing quarterback Brock Purdy to scramble up the middle. 

Oren Burks

The free-agent acquisition from Green Bay had a solid practice. Burks forced a pass break up and hauled in an interception of a pass from Nate Sudfeld. 

Leon O’Neal

The undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M stepped in front of KeeSean Johnson to intercept a Trey Lance pass over the middle. 

George Odum

The free-agent safety made a solid play in run support. As JaMycal Hasty tried to run off left tackle, Odum burst through the line to stop the back for a loss. 

Odum is expected to be a core special teams contributor and provide depth behind Jimmie Ward.

Ray-Ray McCloud

McCloud has been excellent throughout offseason practices open to the media. 

Today the former Pittsburgh Steeler was targeted a team-high six times, two of which went for touchdowns off the arm of Trey Lance. 

McCloud beat Ambry Thomas on a go route down the left sideline on the first touchdown, and Lance put the ball on the money. 

The second came late in practice. McCloud ran a deep dig route from left to right, Lance hit the receiver in stride, and he split the 49ers defense on his way to the endzone. 

Trey Lance

As has been the case throughout these early offseason practices, Lance was on target. Today, the second-year quarterback completed 10 of 15 attempts. Among the ten completions were two deep touchdowns on back-to-back throws and another to Ray-Ray McCloud when he hit the receiver in stride about 20 yards downfield on a deep route over the middle.  

In addition to the two touchdown passes to McCloud referenced above, Lance also hit tight end Jordan Matthews with a deep throw over the middle, which traveled about 45 yards in the air. 

Lance also showed off his running ability today. After Jaylon Moore was beaten by a strong inside move from Kerry Hyder, Lance stepped up and through the pocket for a nice gain. 

Jordan Mason

The undrafted free agent running back seems to make at least one big play each practice. 

Late in practice, Mason took a handoff from Brock Purdy over the right side, found the hole, and exploded through for a big gain. 

Aaron Banks and Jake Brendel

With the 49ers looking to replace their left guard and center, it is noteworthy that Banks and Brendel have worked with the first unit throughout offseason practices. While the rest of the offensive linemen on the first unit have moved around from left to right, and in some cases, from guard to tackle, Banks and Brendel have stayed in place.